Creation
by shinigamigirl196
Summary: "That is not correct. There was never Fourteen Noah, but Fifteen. The last one is one that has rarely been recorded in any memory bank the Bookmen possess because her family tried to hide her from that side of history, but it would be unsurprising if you found references to the "Singer", you see, she died on the same day as her twin brother after they attempted to kill the Earl."
1. Walker

**Disclaimer: Katsura Hoshino owns D. Gray Man**

**The General: Chapter One: Walker**

* * *

She moved about the circus tent quietly, careful not to awaken her slumbering brother. She spared him a soft smile, gently placing her ratty blanket around his shoulders in the effort to further insulate him from the cold. He twitched slightly, but he did not awaken, making her smile gently as she smoothed the auburn hair from his sweaty forehead. She donned a high collared coat over the dress, hiding the strange feather-like tattoos on her throat and arm from view, and left the tent without a sound.

The girl's name was Walker and inside her pulsed a very active innocence, one that few were privy to the knowledge of.

Walker kicked a rock that had settled on the cobble road as she strode down it solemnly. It wasn't rare to see the thirteen year old strolling through the streets of London, but usually she was practicing at this time of day. Walker now worked as a tightrope walker - a bit of a pun, if you asked her- as the original had sustained an injury after the untimely death of her older sister. Amelia Archer barely had any patience to deal with "a child with no ability," but Walker had very good balance, and she was a born entertainer. Honestly, the only reason Walker had even tried out to be a tightrope walker was because her brother and adoptive father were doing all the work as clowns and she felt the need to compensate.

"Amelia?" Walker called softly as she entered the graveyard; it didn't seem right for her to speak above a whisper in such an area. "Amelia?" She may not have like the woman, but losing someone who was that close to you couldn't be easy.

"Good!" a childish voice was saying, the voice colored with impish joy. The voice struck an odd chord with Walker, like she should know the voice, but didn't; it sent a chill down her spine. "Now speak your beloved's name and recall her from the grave!" At those words, Walker's throat closed up.

Walker quickened her pace until she was running, her heart hammering in her chest as she screamed, "Amelia, no!" But the woman didn't listen, or maybe she couldn't, too focused on the task at hand.

"Helen!" Amelia cried out, her voice trembling with pain and love, but most of all, joy.

The skeletal-like metallic body came to life in an instant, the name Helen written out on the cranium. "Amelia," Helen's voice cried from the higed jaw that creaked with every movement. "How could you?! How could you do this to me?!"

"What?" Amelia gasped, taking a step back slightly, in shock at the words that had been uttered in her sister's voice, shocked by the anger.

"Now kill this woman and wear her skin as your own!" Her companion cried out in a sort of coo that one typically adopted when speaking to an infant or toddler.

With a sudden burst of speed, Walker barreled through the clearing, almost stopping short when she saw him. He was not what Walker was expecting; she was expecting black robes, a scythe, and a skeletal face. But he was a large -as in fat- man wearing a trench coat and top hat, his skin was grey, and his grin was impossibly large. If she had time, she would have probably stopped and stared.

"AMELIA!" screamed Walker, throwing herself in the way of the newly born undead creature. Its blade-like arm sliced through her right eye as it screamed, cursing its sister, who it believed it had cut. Walker clapped her hands to her eye and screamed bloody murder as something shot from behind her, piercing the creature through the heart.

"Walker? Are you alright?" Distantly, she recognized that it was Amelia, cradling her in her arms. Something wet hit the left side of her face; Amelia was crying. That made her feel worse.

"I'm so sorry!" the woman sobbed heartbreakingly. "This is all my fault!"

"That we can agree on," a rude voice commented, immediately setting Walker on edge, even in her delirium. "And I'm afraid we'll be taking the girl with us."

Walker opened her left eye with difficulty to blearily gaze upon the offender. He was tall with dark skin and tightly braided hair, and his eyes were filled with cruelty. She only felt distrust towards him, him and his silver cross emblazoned uniform.

"No," moaned Walker, moving slightly back in an attempt to distance her from the intimidating man. "I want Mana! I want Allen!"

"Too bad!" he sneered, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck and swiftly knocking her out, her world fading into blackness.

* * *

Walker's world was dark, so dark as she feigned sleep in the presence of the men in the white coats, the ones she hated so dearly even after they had removed her from a place called "Central". Pretending to be asleep was so much better than dealing with the pain.

"This is the accommodator?" Their voices echoed dully in the boxed room, irritating her ears.

"So it would seem."

"She's refused to even say a word."

"Maybe Kanda can get her to talk." Faintly, she wondered who exactly "Kanda" was.

"Maybe..."

"It won't matter in a week; she'll be taken to Hevlaska and be given innocence."

The two men in white lab coats had turned away from her, shutting and locking the door behind them. And with them, her consciousness faded as well.

The next thing she knew, she was dreaming, dreaming about a little girl with dark hair and eyes. She was sitting on the bench of a piano, next to a boy with similar features. Siblings, Walker assumed. As if on queue, the girl began to sing a gentle melody, a soft smile on her face as she did so, until the piano playing stopped at the sudden sound of a door open and both children leapt up to race across the room to fling their arms around a boy who looked remarkably like them with smiling golden eyes that made Walker stiffen.

"Mana!" they cried happily as Walker stared agape at the man who was the closest thing she had ever had to a father. Those strange golden eyes met hers and she jerked suddenly into awareness.

Eyelids fluttered open revealing dull grey eyes. Was she in a dungeon? She didn't know. She could barely feel her fingers; her arms were just tied so tight with bandages, healing the cuts she'd made herself. Her cheeks were flushed with fever and she trembled with cold. She jumped as a soft material floated down onto her shoulders. It was a coat. She looked up at its owner in surprise. He was a boy her age with long dark hair and equally dark eyes.

"You looked cold," the boy said curtly, for which she was grateful, she didn't have the patience to deal with concerned dunderheads.

"Do you have a name?" the boy asked as she slipped her thin arms through the armholes.

She gave a meaningless shrug and he made an aggravated noise when she finally spoke.

"People called me Walker," she rasped, speaking with difficulty, her vocal cords aching with every movement. "I didn't really have a name."

The boy watched her carefully; she looked like she'd gone to a funeral. "My name is Yuu Kanda."

"Hello," she said quietly, almost shy, he noticed.

"You've been here for three months," Kanda informed her dryly. "And I daresay none of us could sleep very well with all the screaming."

She quirked an eyebrow in confusion, earning her an odd look. "You've been screaming for three months straight. The staff was beginning to think you were being tortured, but they were informed that the immense pain you were feeling was coming from the wound on your eye."

She raised a hand to her bandaged eye in surprise; she must have been really out of it not to remember so much pain.

"Do you know where you are?" Kanda asked her.

"No," she said sullenly, gazing around the dark area. She was sure that in proper lighting it would be white, a spare medical room possibly.

"Have you ever heard of the Black Order?" he asked and was surprised at her jerky nod. "You have?"

"Bookman-san said I'm an accommodator and that people would come looking for me." She raised her knees to her chest and locked her arms around them looking miserable. "I miss my brother." Thinking of her snarky grey-eyed little brother made her heart rise up into her throat.

Kanda wasn't sure how to respond to that, he was just grateful she wasn't annoying.

She lifted her only visible eye to gaze upon her companion in an almost lazy manner. Kanda's attitude seemed refreshing to her, as she'd been living with bad tempered people all her life. Her lips twitched upwards slightly. Maybe being in the Black Order wouldn't be as bad as one might think.

* * *

Komui Lee balanced the tray of food in one hand as he twisted the knob of the door that led to the Black Order's most recent accommodator. He had only met her briefly, and he was quite certain that she hadn't been completely conscious. The Cursed Girl, that was what she was called around the European Branch, because her hair had turned a shocking white soon after her arrival to HQ. She was quiet, but somehow he doubted that would last long. The only person who had the most contact with her was Kanda, as surprising as it was; from what he heard, Kanda was showing her some basic sword stances.

Recently, she had taken to filling notebooks with a strange code that seemed oddly reminiscent of music notes that he couldn't make head or tails of, so he was surprised by the small figure facing the wall, her short white barely reaching the shoulders as she traced meaningless symbols into the tile wall, murmuring quietly to herself.

"I'm not hungry today, Yuu-kun," she said and Komui was surprised that she sounded so young. She was thirteen, but slimmer and shorter making her look almost Lenalee's age, and the thick bandages that covered her arms and legs didn't help her image. What surprised him more was how easily she had spoken Kanda's first name, without fear of injury.

"Kanda's busy," he said, "but he told me to bring you this."

She twisted slowly to look at him, her eyes shining silver in the lamplight. Her looks were startling with the fair skin, light hair, and pale eyes she had the same sort of delicacy that his sister held. He could almost imagine her with wings.

Her lips twisted into an untrusting frown, and he could see that she was trying to work out exactly who he was. "Who're you?"

"I'm Komui Lee, the Branch Head of the European Branch of the Black Order."

She stared at him before speaking after a long pregnant pause. "That's a long title…Where is Yuu-kun?"

"Don't worry, he's just training," the chief said easily. "But I heard your throat had been damaged; is it feeling better?"

She blinked in surprise, raising a hand almost protectively to her throat, and then her eyes narrowed. "Why do you care?"

Komui's eyes widened in shock, but realization dawned. "I'm guessing no one's been treating you very good, have they?" Some Central doctors had remained to keep an eye on her and he could only assume how they had been to her.

"Hmph, can't say I blame them." Her voice tone had changed, becoming slightly higher and colder. It was as if someone had flipped a switch on her personality.

"Hm? Why's that?" asked Komui, astonished by her sudden voice change, but she blinked owlishly as if she didn't understand.

"Sorry, did you say something?"

Komui gave her an odd look. "No, nothing."

She looked immediately downcast, drawing her legs up to her chest. "I miss Yuu-kun."

Komui laughed and she looked up in surprise. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing," Komui snorted. "It's just that most people don't like Kanda because of his attitude."

Her lips formed a startled 'o' and then she smiled angelically. "Ah, but you are speaking to someone who had an ill-tempered little brother, so I find it easy to deal with."

"I see," Komui said nodding slightly, gazing inquisitively over her. "Do you have a name?"

Her eyebrows creased in confusion and Komui noticed how she absentmindedly tapped her finger against her arm; it was a nervous habit, no doubt. "I don't really have one," she admitted as an afterthought, "Most people knew me as Walker, but a friend of mine called me Colette."

"It's a beautiful name," Komui informed her gently, astounded when her cheeks flushed a brilliant and bright red.

"Junior-kun was a bit of a flirt," she muttered under her breath. Komui could only wonder who it was that could embarrass her so easily by giving her that name.

* * *

It was still quite early, the sun barely shining in through the windows, and the scientists in the Science Division were still hard at work when they heard the muted thuds and heavy breathing coming from the training room. And so, being the procrastinators that they were, they opted to catch a look at the exorcists, hoping to catch a glimpse of the newest addition.

"Is that the new accommodator?" Johnny whispered as the group peered over a balcony a few feet up. She was a small girl with ratty white hair tied back into a ponytail as she swung her fist with difficulty, her movements sluggish.

"Must be!" Tapp muttered back completely entranced by the pair's movements.

"She should still be in recovery!" Reever hissed back. "What's she thinking? She's going to reopen her injuries!"

Colette's tangled white hair was tied sloppily back, the long ponytail swinging with both every blow she took and made. She and Kanda had long forgone swords and had now resorted to their fists. Kanda nailed her chest with a strike, sending her to the ground. Her body trembled with strain as she attempted to straighten up, resting a palm against her tender chest, the other hand taking up an offensive position.

"That's enough," a calm voice ordered, commanding the pair to cease.

"Komui-san!" Colette interjected suddenly. "I can keep going!"

"You're dead on your feet Colette-chan," the Chief informed her kindly. "Your body isn't used to this kind of intensive training. Take an hour off; rest, shower, eat lunch. You can begin again after your meal."

For a moment her eyes lit with a determined fire, but then she conceded. "Fine," she sighed.

"I've sent some clothes up to your room," he called after her, holding up a key.

This new information startled her as she gazed owlishly at him. "My room?" she asked blankly, uncomprehending. "I don't understand."

"Reever can show you the way!" Komui said cheerfully, tossing her a key and racing off crying out: "Lenalee-chaaaannnn!" He wasn't aware the sweatdrops that accumulated on the heads of the people he left behind. Colette merely sighed, limping her way up the stairs, soon finding herself gazing into recently furnished room. There wasn't much; a bed, a dresser, a shower, a desk with a chair, a hanging mirror, but it made her lightheaded. Even that –to her mind- was a lot, because Colette had grown up with having little that she could call hers.

She stumbled slightly and both Kanda (who had followed as Colette was notorious for getting lost) and Reever reached to grip her elbows.

"Walker-"

"Colette," she said suddenly. "My name is Colette now."

"Colette," he continued, "Are you alright? You look pale."

"I...I've just never had it before," she stuttered.

"What a room to yourself?" joked Reever, but she nodded.

"Or anything else."

The three stood in silence for a long moment before Colette finally cleared her throat. "Komui-san said he got me some clothes...?"

"Oh, yeah," Reever said, eager for a change in subject. "They're probably in the dresser. I'm sure he would have used some of Lenalee's old clothes, but you're older than she is...so..."

"Tell him thank you for me, would you?" she asked him as he left and he gave a wave to show he heard her.

"Can I meet you in the cafeteria?" she asked Kanda, who gave a "Che", but said nothing to suggest the opposite.

Colette took a long time in the shower, letting the warm water and steam sink into the core of her being. She hadn't truly had a shower in well over three months; most of her showers since she had been brought to The Order were ice-cold water in her face by a pair of officials she had been assured did not work for the European Branch. Colette wasn't girly at all -those girls she used to see wearing expensive gems, makeup, and silk-made dresses made her sick to her stomach- but that didn't mean she didn't like her hair. While the water was still running she raked a brush through the tangles, but they were extensive and it took her fifteen minutes for the locks to become their normal straightness. Her hair was the color of snow. She hadn't ever seen herself in a mirror since her coming to the Order until she stepped out of the shower. The girl in the mirror was a stranger. Colette's face was far too thin from the lack of food she'd ingested in three months, her skin was marred with blossoming bruises and scrapes, most of them from her training session, but she didn't mind those, the other ones were from both self-inflicted injuries and from one of the men from Central, for her not obeying. Her grey eyes stood out a bit more now with the white locks. Her fingers trailed over the jagged line through her right eye, wincing as she did so; her pearly skin was a puffy, angry red where the cut was, and Colette wondered if it would ever heal.

A soft sigh escaped Colette as she carefully taped new gauze over her impaired eye, pulling on some dark training clothes that were reminiscent of Kanda's and opening the door and striding out.

_I'll keep walking, Mana, just like you._

And it was not several hours later that she was dragged forcibly onto the lift down to Hevlaska the Holder of the Cube, dragging her heels into the ground trying to slow down her captor.

"LET ME GO!" Colette screamed, beating her fists and kicking her legs against the man's. "YOU'RE GOING TO KILL ME! LET ME GO!"

"Now, Hevlaska!" his cruel voice ordered, ignoring Colette's screams for help.

"I...would not...suggest," the guardian of the Innocence said, worry creeping into her voice.

"Now!"

And then something glowing green was pushed into her chest. Colette froze as the Innocence merged with her completely, too in shock to move.

"Wasn't so hard, now was it?" the man asked, her dark eyes malevolent, his lips twitching into an wicked smile.

And that was when it started. Colette's eyes bulged and she clutched at her chest as if she could not breathe, her heart thumping painfully as she spat up blood onto. Colette fell to the ground writhing as Komui, cried out in shock, reaching towards the young teenager only to find himself blocked by a very sharp katana.

Kanda pointed it threateningly at the Chief from where he was positioned protectively over his training partner.

"What did you do?!" he snarled dangerously, his angry eyes flickering between Komui and the man responsible for Lenalee's pain, Inspector Malcolm Lvellie.

Komui opened his mouth to respond when Colette began to clutch at her head, screaming as if someone had run several white-hot pokers through her chest. Komui only got a glimpse of the change before she reverted to normal; the slight grey sheen of her skin, the way her silver eyes became a soft golden hue. And that was about when the blood appeared, spilling from numerous cuts on her skin as she continued to scream. The pain of her physical injuries was nothing compared to the pain inside her.

"NEA!" She couldn't help the pitched scream that escaped her. Even as her consciousness faded, she whispered, "Save me, Nea…"

Later, she would find her questioning where she had heard that name, but it would be a very long time before Colette Walker was given an answer of any kind regarding that man.


	2. Recuperation

**Disclaimer: Katsura Hoshino owns D. Gray Man**

**Creation: Chapter Two: Recuperation**

* * *

It was that girl again. Colette had been having dreams about her as long as she could remember. She was elusive and mysterious, and some could say Colette modeled her own personality after the girl's. Sometimes she appeared as an angelic and snarky child, others as a rebellious teenager, and even as a demanding and sarcastic young woman.

This time she was a child. Her dark hair was a mass of perfect curls, something that seemed to irritate her, flying over her shoulders as she ran through the hall, running solidly into someone.

"Whoa, easy there," the person she ran into said.

She looked up into a pair of ice-blue eyes. "Lady Campbell?"

The next morning Colette awoke with her whole body aching, feeling as though she was weighed down with lead. She accidentally breathed in too deeply as she sat up, making her ribs hurt. Her head throbbed at even the slightest touch. She groaned, her bandaged hands cupping her eyes as she tried not to focus on the hammering headache she had. Colette dropped her eyes rather suddenly when she caught sight of the weapons laying on the nightstand beside her. Her Innocence had taken the form of twin pistols that were heavy and silver with a sort of floral cross engraved on the side to add a bit of irony. She lifted her head, raising her eyebrows in surprise at the blood red golem circling her head.

"Roseanne!" She smiled as the golem nestled into her palm. Colette had accidentally picked up the red winged ball when she was with her brother and Mana. She couldn't get it to leave her alone, but Mana had only laughed at her annoyance, saying something about it being rightfully hers, or whatever. "I missed you," she added as the golem lifted into the air to nuzzle against her cheek affectionately. Colette couldn't help the small burst of laughter that had bubbled from her lips.

"See any crutches?" she asked the golem which flew off to drag a pair back to her with its forked tail. "Thanks."

Colette handed Roseanne her anti-akuma weapons while pulling the crutches up and under her arms and at long last placed her feet on the ground.

Getting out of the hospital ward was a trial, not that Colette would have admitted it, and the stairs were harder, but at long last –literally, Colette wasn't sure how long it took, but it was long enough in her opinion- she finally reached her destination.

Colette rocked onto the balls of her feet and sucked in a breath, knocking on the door.

"Come in."

Colette peeked her head inside. "Komui-san, do you have a minute?"

The European Branch Chief got up immediately from his chair, moving through the sea of papers to reach the child exorcist. "Colette-chan! You should be resting!"

"I'll be fine," Colette assured him, although she sighed softly as she sat down, the strain on her ankles being more than she had anticipated.

Komui gave her a moment to catch her breath, before asking her the question that had plagued his mind for the past few days while she slumbered. "Colette-chan, who is Nea?"

Her head snapped up at the question and he could see a flicker of recognition in her eyes, but confusion soon snuffed it out and she tilted her head. "Nea?"

"Yes, it's the name you screamed when your body tried to adapt to the Innocence," Komui explained, ever curious at her reaction to the name; it was like she both new it and never heard of it.

Her eyes slid out of focus, as if she was trying to remember a long lost dream that was disappearing before her eyes.

"Could I see Hevlaska, please? It won't be for long, I promise," she asked imploringly, changing the subject rather abruptly that Komui stared. "I'll stay in bed all afternoon, I swear."

Finally, Komui sighed in defeat. "Alright." And he proceeded to allow the girl to practically drag him to the lift, somehow managing to do so with her crutches.

"You don't have to see Hevlaska, Colette-chan," Komui told her as he lowered the elevator to the lowest level. "In fact-"

"It's not Hevlaska's fault," Colette said reasonably, closing her eyes, drumming her fingers on her new anti-akuma weapon to an unknown melody, but as she hummed it, Komui saw her shoulders relax. A nervous habit, perhaps?

Hevlaska was quite beautiful, if one had the proper chance to look upon the Holder of the Cube and observe her with in untainted eye. She could be frightening, Colette had to admit, but there was no denying the ghostly allure she had.

"Hevlaska." Being before the creature –could she really say woman?- made her a bit on the nervous side. She swallowed hard.

The Holder of the Cube raised her mighty head as the platform descended carrying only two lone figures. Hevlaska recognized the slim girl even with her bandage-covered skin, she recognized the strange energy that swirled around the girl as if drawn to her being; Innocence.

"Colette...Walker..." Hevlaska rumbled in that resonating voice of hers. "You have my...deepest apologies."

Despite her injuries and uncertainties, the girl smiled and raised a hand to rest it against Hevlaska's ghostly cheek. "There is nothing to forgive; you did nothing wrong."

Without further ado, Hevlaska lifted Colette off the elevator, her tentacles first probing the guns strapped to her thighs.

"2%...17%...25%...39%...52%...65%...73%...87%...90 %! Your...synchronization rate...is 90%...for "Salvation"..." Colette tried not to show her surprise at the name for her equipment-type that she had come up with only moments ago.

"And this?" Colette asked quietly, not that anyone would be listening in on the conversation this late at night, other than Komui who was far below, holding up her right arm. The feather-like tattoos seemed to almost flicker and glow in the darkness.

The tentacles moved to her arm and it was silent for a few moments.

"Only 84%...that is...surprising," Hevlaska said, returning her to the lift, but speaking so only she could hear. "but your...innocence is not...bound to a...single form...it will adapt...to whatever you wish..."

"Adapt to what I wish?" Colette asked in surprise.

"Yes," Hevlaska agreed, raising her voice slightly to a normal volume. "I foresee you...becoming the...Creator of Time..."

Colette didn't understand what she meant by that, but it gave her a worrying feeling.

* * *

"Are you two planning on stopping anytime soon?" Reever asked with slight boredom.

It was now noon and the pair had been going at it since late the previous night, as it would be a couple more weeks before Colette was fully rehabilitated and deemed fit for duty.

"Shut up!" they both snapped, an aura of fire surrounding them and Reever had to raise his hands upwards in surrender. They were impossible when they got in those moods of their's.

"Ready to give up, old hag?" Kanda taunted, his grin dangerous.

"Not on your life, girlie man!" The feral smile that had erupted onto Colette's face could severely outclass his.

What was so hilarious was that their swords had long since shattered and their punches and kicks had become so slow and sluggish that they had resorted to throwing insults at each other.

Colette threw one last kick and gave a startled yelp as his hand closed around her injured ankle, yanking her clear off the ground, hanging upside down.

Unfortunately for Kanda, it didn't stay that way for long. Colette gripped his ankles, knocking them out from underneath him and sending the pair to the ground. A miscalculation ended her turning tide in the battle.

"Are you alright?" Reever asked in concern as the cloud of dust cleared, revealing the jumbled pair.

"No problem," Colette gasped from underneath Kanda's back, her eyes dizzying spirals. "I can assure you we are professionals."

Reever could only give her a slightly amused smile in return as she kicked Kanda off her, ensuing another battle of wills.

"They could go on for hours at this point," Johnny Gill said in worry, but Reever waved a dismissive hand.

"Don't worry about it, they'll quit as soon as Colette gets hungry."

As if on queue, a loud rumbling noise came from Colette's stomach, forcing the girl to drop to her knees, clutching her stomach, her face white as her eyes were dazed. "Food…"she mumbled, reaching a vain hand out to nothing (a hallucination, no doubt).

Reever jerked his head towards her. "Well, Johnny, there you have it."

Johnny felt a sheepish smile morph onto his face as his supervising officer walked over to Colette and gripped the back of her shirt, dragging her off to the cafeteria while she moaned for food, stumbling into a standing position.

"Oh man!" Colette complained. "I feel like I could eat several horses!"

"I thought you felt like that every day," Reever said in surprise, referring to Colette's monstrous appetite; Reever was sure Jerry was half in love with the partial albino.

Colette poked her tongue between her lips at his response, looking distinctly childish for someone with her appearance.

"Jerry-san! I want two servings of chicken curry, szuchuan tofu, an omelette, rice and eggplant, two meat pies, baked yam and egg flour soup, mustard fried rice, lamb steak..." The list went on and on and Reever could feel a sweat drop forming on his head.

Reever wondered if she noticed the odd looks she was getting for the sheer amount of food she was ordering, but Jerry seemed happy enough.

"You got it cutie pie!"

She needed a cart to get it all the way back to a table, but she didn't complain, eating it far too happily, while her golem munched on stray food. She didn't notice how her face fell as she thought about the name "Nea", she felt that she should know it, but…

"Colette-chan?" Reever asked in concern once he caught sight of her oddly expressionless face. "Is something wrong?"

Then Colette blinked and her expression cleared. "Oh, so sorry!" she grinned sheepishly. "I've been really spaced out lately."

She held out a finger allowing the red golem to rest on it like a perch. The golem's name was Roseanne. She -everyone assumed it was a she with its name- had appeared one night by Colette's side and had not left her since.

"You should take the rest of the day off," Reever said looking her over with a weary eye.

"Wah?!" Colette gaped at him. "But Reever-san-!"

"Your ankle is still seriously injured and you're still healing from the injuries your innocence gave you," Reever reminded the girl. "Limit your training with Kanda to only part of the day and do something non-strenuous for the rest of the day."

Colette huffed in annoyance, munching angrily on a potato, not realizing her golem had already eaten some of her leftovers.

Kanda had one more soba noodle left when it suddenly vanished and he glared at Roseanne. The golem in question didn't seem too concerned with her safety, her teeth appearing, bared in an evil grin. Kanda's eye twitched, but, surprisingly, he said nothing.

That forlorn expression was back. "Colette-chan?"

"Fine," she muttered under her breath, stabbing mutinously at a carrot before standing up to return her pile of dishes to the front. She paused for the briefest amount of time, before visibly shaking herself into awareness and stalking off, making her way up to where Komui's office was located.

Colette stared...and then she blinked...and then she stared again at the scene before her.

"What the bloody hell?" She queried to no one. "Does no one know how to sort through papers these days?"

The room she was staring into was a complete and utter pig sty! There was parchment completely covering the floor so that one might think that the papers _were_ the floor. Her eye twitched at the disorder. "How the hell does Komui-san get any work done?" she couldn't help but ask herself bitingly, still a bit resentful at not being able to train for as long as before.

With a sigh, Colette lowered herself to the small piece of floor that was void of papers and began sorting through some of the many parchments. "Mission...Completed Mission...Letter...Staff Transfer...Completed Mission..."

"Shouldn't you be resting, Colette-chan?" Komui asked his young ward.

Colette looked up at him and then back at her throbbing ankle, which was where his attention was focused. Really, it was just a sprain, why was everyone making such a big deal about it? "Sorting through papers is hardly strenuous, Komui-san," she intoned dully.

"Hmm," was all the man said, slurping his coffee as she turned back to her work, staring at each paper only for a few seconds before placing them in their corresponding pile. "Colette-chan, how would you like to be my assistant?"

Colette gazed up at him again, this time with a dubious expression. "Assistant?"

"Well, one of them anyway," Komui said evasively, waving his hand trying to fend off Roseanne who seemed to have taken an interest in his coffee. "My sister helps out wherever she can when she's not doing missions-"  
"And it'll give me something to do when I'm restricted from training excessively?" Colette added with a raised eyebrow. "Well…I suppose it couldn't hurt."

He watched her carefully for a moment before giving her a bright smile. "Ah! I forgot to say this before, Colette-chan, but welcome to the Black Order."

The surprise in her eyes was absolutely worth it, as was the smile that mirrored his own. "Thank you, Komui-san."

* * *

"Nii-san?"

Lenalee creaked the door open, hoping in vain that her brother was hard at work, but instead of her brother she found a girl who was maybe a few years older than her. She would have thought even older than that with her long pure white hair, but her face was young and free of wrinkles.

"Excuse me-"

The whitette looked up startled, upending her pile of papers she was stacking. A colorful swear escaped her lips as she attempted to sort through it again.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Lenalee apologized feverishly, walking quickly to the girl and helping her finish the stack. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's not a problem," the girl said easily, taking the papers from Lenalee, and placing them in a box, "the only place these are going is the Mission Archive."

Lenalee caught sight of her heavily bandaged arms. She must have been doing something incredibly dangerous, but she was just a scientist recruit, wasn't she? "Let me help you, then."

"That would only prolong my boredom...uh..." The girl canted her head to the side, trying to decipher her name through squinting her eyes.

"Lenalee," Lenalee supplied helpfully.

"...Lenalee-san. I would rather have something to do," the girl said, shrugging her shoulders.

"You're not supposed to be doing anything, Colette-chan," a voice behind Lenalee reminded the girl. "Hello, Lenalee, welcome back, how was the mission?"

"Fine, Reever-san." She smiled. "It's good to be back."

Colette stuck her tongue out at the man, limping away. She had to be a new scientist, Lenalee decided, judging on her lab coat.

"Are you looking for your brother, Lenalee?" Reever asked after Colette had gone.

"Um...yes-" Lenalee said, her eyes following the strange red golem gnawing on Reever's hair.

Reever caught her glance. "Oh don't worry, this is just Roseanne, she's the golem of our newest exorcist."

"Oh," Lenalee said in confusion.

"Your brother's probably still in the cafeteria...the slacker..."

Lenalee made her way out of the room, almost running into Roseanne who had suddenly taken flight at an exasperated call of: "Roseanne!"

She was even more surprised to see the golem hovering in the space next to Colette who glared at it. "You shouldn't be going off on your own!" The girl chided it. "It doesn't take much for you to get lost, remember the cat incident?"

The golem seemed to shiver slightly at the mention of whatever incident Colette was speaking of and moved in close so as not to become lost again. However, it was mere hours later, when the golem flitted around anxiously as its mistress fought furiously against Kanda.

Colette yelped loudly as she was thrown bodily across the room, slamming harshly into the wall, hard enough, she noticed, to leave a few cracks in the stone behind her. An annoyed huff left her lips as she glared up at her sparring companion with was smirking quite vindictively down at her. With a mighty yell, she discarded her frayed training sword, leaping at him and thus catching him by surprise as the two entered into a tussle that had everyone staring at them because of it. Even Lenalee, who was passing by with coffee and was still unaware of Colette's status as an exorcist, had to stop and gape at the sight before shaking her head and going about her business.

"Oi!" Reever yelled over to them from where the Science Division worked. "The last time you two did that-"

Really, he should have known better, after all, how many times had he attempted to break up their fights and ended up on the receiving end of their anger? Each and every one, that's how many.

"SHUT UP!" They snapped in unison, that dark aura surrounding them once more.

"Give up, Reever," Komui advised from where he was watching and drinking his coffee. "Those two are so stubborn they'd probably end up fighting each other until they both passed out."

An irritated tick mark appeared above Reever's eyebrow as he glared at his boss. "Komui, that's exactly the point; Colette will probably reopen her wounds before she would think of surrendering…and _shouldn't you be working?!_"

"Hehe," Komui chuckled nervously, somehow managing to ignore the obscene yells coming from the training area, despite how loud and…vulgar they were starting to become. "How should I put this?"

"KOMUI!"

"Lenalee-chan, save me!" Komui yelled, followed by a very womanly scream that had Kanda and Colette looking up from their battle.

"I guess there would be no point in trying to do anything to help him?" Colette guessed, watching as Reever dragged a helpless Komui through the hall and up several flights of stairs to his supervisor's office, before throwing the man inside and locking the door behind him, firmly ignoring the cries for mercy within.

"None," Kanda said shortly, throwing a fist into her face and knocking her back several paces. He cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Never lose sight of your opponent."

"Oh," Colette said in a casual sort of way, "I just thought you needed a break, Yuu-kun, you're looking kind of tired…"

With a growl, Kanda flung himself back into battle, their fight resuming once more.


	3. Exorcist

**Disclaimer: Katsura Hoshino owns D. Gray Man**

**Creation: Chapter Three: Exorcist**

* * *

"Wait, you're an exorcist?"

Colette chuckled lightly, scratching the back of her head sheepishly as Lenalee stared at her, looking her up and down. "Yeah, you didn't know that?"

Colette's eye had healed over days previously, and since then, she had taken to wearing her fish scale headband at a slant so it covered her cursed eye. "Sorry about that, Lenalee-san." Johnny had just finished making her uniform and she found that she rather liked it. The top was identical to Kanda's or Lenalee's, though hers was quite different on the bottom, having pants under the uniform that extended to her thighs with just enough room that Colette would be able to grab her pistols with ease.

Lenalee visibly shook herself. "I thought you were a scientist!"

Colette shrugged. "I just hang out with the department. Reever-san let me borrow his lab coat because I was cold." Misconception, she supposed, but really, could a simple scientist be able to hold their own against the likes of Yuu Kanda? Of course not!

A laugh escaped her before she could squelch it. "I'm nowhere near that smart!"

"But-but-" Lenalee couldn't seem to formulate a complete sentence at that. "You're leaving already?!"

Colette gave her a slight smile, stuffing the last of her things into a small bag. "Well, I've been here a few months, besides, I need the instruction of a General before I can technically be considered an Exorcist."

"But apprenticeships last for twelve whole months!" Lenalee complained, having grown so used to the older girl's presence. "You'll be gone a whole year!"

"It seems I will be," Colette admitted with a casual smile. "Don't be sad, Lenalee-san, years pass very quickly in the Order, you know this."

"But-" Lenalee didn't want her to go, but she forced herself to stop when Colette ruffled her hair affectionately.

"I look forward to seeing the Exorcist you will become, Lenalee-sa-"

"Just Lenalee," the girl interrupted her.

"Lenalee," Colette continued with a smile. "Good luck."

But, Lenalee felt that she should have been the one saying that to Colette, after all she had a bad habit of getting lost, but, she supposed, anyone who could hold their own against Kanda of all people had merit.

* * *

The last Akuma almost caught Kanda by surprise. Almost. He readied Mugan in his hand, preparing to strike when something shot through the Akuma, leaving a noticeable hole in its machine-like body. It exploded rather suddenly after that, leaving no trace but the demolished building in its wake.

Daisya Barry, who had been partnering with Kanda on this mission, limped painfully over to his partner. "Who was that?"

Kanda opened his mouth to respond when a voice hummed, "May your soul rest in peace, Akuma."

It was a decidedly odd thing to say, the pair had to admit as a person clothed in a uniform identical Kanda's descended the ruined stairs to land beside them, their hood still shrouding their face.

"Honestly, Yuu-kun," the voice from beneath the hood seemed almost chiding towards the Japanese male, "turning your back on the enemy."

Kanda's eye twitched slightly at both how she blamed him and how she said his name. "Walker."

A soft chuckle emanated from the hood as a gloved hand raised upwards to pull it back revealing a young face. The shock of pure white hair was startling by itself, but when you added the eerie grey eye –as one was hidden under the slant of her headband- and the just visible but quite obvious scar down the right side of her face. She smiled kindly at the pair.

"Long time no see, Yuu-kun."

Kanda glared. "Where's the irritating old fool?"

"Give me the slip around the same time the Akuma showed up," Colette informed him sullenly, jerking her head to the east, "there are about thirty-five a few miles that way." She looked them over after a moment, "though I should probably heal you two up before we even think about moving." Without asking for their permission, she placed a hand on each of their foreheads, a soft, slow melody escaping her lips.

After a few seconds she removed her hands. "That should do it."

She almost laughed at the stupefied look on Daisya's face as he found putting weight on his previously injured ankle did him no harm.

"Whoa," he whistled lowly, "neat trick."

"Thank you, Barry-san," Colette spoke with that polite, crisp accent that she'd always had. "Read to move out?"

But, it seemed that such action was pointless, as once they had arrived, all that remained of the Akuma were several piles of dust surrounding a middle-aged man sketching on a sheet of paper.

"Master!" Colette complained, striding over to him after the other two mysteriously vanished –she guessed they didn't like her master as much as she did- with a slightly irritated look on her face. "I'm starting to think you're more like Cross than you think!"

Froi Tiedoll chuckled lightly at the insult. "Not quite, Co-chan."

The whitette huffed at the pet name she had earned from her teacher, before sitting down beside the man. "What're you drawing?" She peered intently at image of the shoreline. "The beach?"

"Mmhm," Tiedoll hummed in agreement, placing his finished work in the bag on his back and standing up with her, making their way out of the town. "This village's shore is lovely this time of the year."

Colette's eyes fell to the beach he described, and she had to agree. The sun was hitting the water just right, turning the ocean to various hues of blue, green, and purple with silver dancing across the surface.

"I suppose," she admitted after a long silence, wincing suddenly as she gripped her right arm.

"Does it still hurt?" Tiedoll asked his apprentice, noticing how she'd been using her arm less and less.

"Its…nothing I can't handle," she said after a moment, a bead of sweat trickling down her face. "I've just been using it too much…I'm sure that's what Bookman-san would say if I had him look at it."

Tiedoll hadn't known that Colette was once affiliated with the Bookman Clan enough to personally know the last two of the line. Colette turned back towards her teacher with a brave sort of grimace.

"Don't worry, Master, I'll be fine."

Of course, Tiedoll didn't believe her for an instant, but he let her be as they entered into the neighboring town in the middle of what seemed to be a market day.

"Why don't you find us a seat in the plaza?" Tiedoll asked her. "I'll find us something to eat."

Gratefully, she agreed, striding away with the even, measured movements that only someone who had spent a great deal of their time on a tightrope. He watched a small child come up to her with a shy smile offering a basket of apples. Colette bent over slightly to hand her a few coins for a single apple, moving past the girl to look for somewhere to sit. Unaware of the attention she'd garnered from a certain individual.

She was beautiful, that was the first thing Junior noticed. The long loose white locks that fell past her shoulders naturally drew attention to herself, seeing as she was younger than one would have assumed with hair like that. She wore the uniform of the Black Order, but her delicate, feminine face was a stark contrast with it. Basically, it told him that she could totally kick his ass, and that was unbelievably hot.

"Strike!"

Apparently, he'd said the word too loud, because she jumped slightly in her seat, turning to gaze in his direction, grey eyes blinking in surprise and recognition. "J-Junior-kun?" she stuttered in shock.

Then his eyes widened comically and he found himself imitating her. "L-Lettie-chan?"

He had to stare at her up and down. Wow, talk about a late bloomer. The last it he'd seen Lettie she had been so much shorter and not quite as…developed in…certain areas. And her hair had been auburn, of that he'd been quite sure.

Colette let out a slight yelp of surprise as the Bookman Successor wrapped his arms around her and spun her in a circle. She couldn't help but blush violently as she took him in. Obviously, he was taller, after all, it had been at least a year and a half since they'd even seen each other. His wild hair was as bright as ever, making Colette blink several times to adjust, as was his single green eye.

"You look good," she told him with that smile of hers, the one that had both of her eyes sliding shut.

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. "You mean handsome, don't ya, Lettie-chan~?"

Her cheeks burned furiously at those words. "Junior-kun," she said, "you're still as impossible as you were when we first met."

Junior grinned, taking at as a compliment as he stepped back, making a show of checking her out. "And _damn_! You look _good_!"

He should have been more worried about Colette fainting if the amount of blood rushing to her face was anything to go by. Roseanne, who had resting inside Colette's coat, fluttered out to gnaw on its owner's hair.

Junior canted his head to the side, staring intently at the red flying ball. "Is that a golem?" He leaned in close, studying its design, memorizing every detail.

"Ah, yes," Colette scratched her cheek as she laughed slightly, "I'd forgotten that you hadn't met Roseanne before."

The red golem bared its teeth in a grin at the red-head who stared. He pointed. "Does she always do that?" He was going at assume it was a she with a name with "Roseanne".

Colette's lips twitched into a smirk. "Only to people she likes."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

A noise of surprise erupted from Colette's lips as she jumped for the second time in five minutes, this time from her master rather than Junior. "Master!" she complained, resting a hand against her frantically beating heart. "Don't do that!"

Her reaction seemed to amuse her red-haired companion who grinned. "Still as jumpy as ever, eh, Lettie-chan~?" he all but sang.

Colette huffed slightly, crossing her arms in annoyance. "How about next time that you get hit by a stray bullet I won't help you?"

Tiedoll arched an eyebrow at that response.

"I love you," Junior told her with a bright smile, the smile widening further as her cheeks once again flooded with heat.

"B-Baka!"

"Ah!"

The next thing Junior knew, he was nursing a large knot on the top of his skull and Colette was calmly eating her lunch beside the older man. She stared at him balefully. "And you still don't have a filter between your brain and mouth! _Honestly_!"

"You're so mean, Lettie-chan!"

"What has my foolish apprentice done this time, Colette-san?" an aged voice inquired.

Colette smiled at the man she had once been acquainted with. "Bookman-san! Oh, he's just being his usual self, I'm sure you can guess what I mean."

"I can," the man said ruefully. He gave her a low bow that surprised her. "It is a pleasure to see you alive and well, Colette-san."

"Is it?"

Bookman froze at the lighter, aristocratic voice rather than the soft and rough one he was so used to. He lifted his head and in an instant saw her, the girl he'd worked so hard to erase from his logs, but then Colette was back, staring at him in concern.

"Are you quite alright, Bookman-san?" she asked in that polite way she did.

"I am fine," Bookman assured her, "I see you have become an exorcist."

"Hm?" She blinked, glancing down at her uniform sheepishly. "Well, yes, I suppose I have. I'm currently apprenticing under General Tiedoll," she explained, introducing the man who sat beside her. "Bookman-san, I was wondering if I could ask you to look at my arm?"

He tilted his mostly bald head to the side in a similar fashion to Junior's. "We should find somewhere private where I can do an assessment."

In the end, they borrowed an empty room, and Bookman had her unzip the top part of her uniform so that he could see her full arm.

"What the?" Junior gasped. He'd seen Colette's arm before with its odd deformed pattern of feathers, but this was different. There were visible protruding veins and there were some areas that more greatly resembled burns than skin.

"Overuse of a parasitic-type," Bookman noted, holding her limp arm in his hand.

"But I've barely used it!" Colette complained.

"You forget that your parasitic-type is a bit unstable," Bookman told her, inserting a needle into her upper arm, numbing the whole arm as he helped her pull the rest of her uniform back on, tying her right arm into a sling. "Using it for even small amounts of time are bound to have aftereffects. Just try not to use it for a few days."

"Thank you," Colette sighed softly, zipping her coat back up again, though she was a bit more morose than when she started.

"Old friends?" Tiedoll guessed when they were once again on the move.

"Sort of," Colette said with a shrug. "I used to steal books when I was a kid, before I became a tightrope walker. I stole a couple things for Bookman-san and Junior-kun."

"The younger one seemed to like you quite a bit," Tiedoll noted, keeping an eye out for her reaction, but she only gritted her teeth, her face souring.

"Its impossible to tell what he actually thinks," Colette muttered under her breath. "I didn't really like him too much when we first met…he didn't have enough emotion, he's better than he used to be, but with the Bookman Clan you can never be too sure." She sighed softly, the air whistling through her lips as she exhaled, an ever present frown on her face.

* * *

A spurt of blood left her mouth, mixing with the general outpour coming from her stomach as she gasped for breath before smirking at this particular Level Two.

"Your delirium has made you insane!" The Akuma screeched happily in its metallic voice, twisting its claw inside her stomach so Colette spat out more blood.

"Boom," Colette muttered with a grin as she pointed one of her pistols into the Akuma and fired. The resulting explosion sent her flying backwards, skidding in the mud. It was getting harder to breathe, and the world around her was starting to blur, but she raised her weapon one last time, directly upwards, pointing into the heavens.

"Help," she whispered and clicked the trigger, firing a short but obvious spurt of Innocence that the Order would be sure to pick up. She didn't even have the ability to remain conscious when they arrived to find her bleeding out in the middle of the road.

"_Mana will wake up soon, won't he, Mother?"_

_The girl who was speaking was small, maybe seven or eight, wearing boyish clothes that were stained from rolling around in the grass and a leather strap held her dark curls from her face. Her eyes were red from crying and she was holding the hand of a slumbering boy in a bed, her lower lip wobbling like she was going to start crying again._

"_I know he will," she said, not waiting for her mother to speak, her voice shaking and her eyes filling with tears. "Mana's strong, stronger than anyone gives him credit for! He's going to be fine!"_

_Her mother came up behind her, her smile soft as she rubbed circles into the girl's back, murmuring words of encouragement._

"_Wake up," the girl whispered, "Please, Nii-san, please wake up…" she spoke even lower so that her mother could not hear. "I'm so scared, Mana, please, help me."_

Colette's grey eyes shot open and she breathed in painfully, wincing at the pressure over her chest. She sat up as slow as she could so as not to further damage her body, before glancing around her. She recognized the Black Order's hospital ward quite easily, after all, she'd spent the better part of a month in it when she had last been here. Her gaze dropped to the thin material over her torso under which could be seen bandages wrapped around her. Some were obviously chest bindings, but she could tell the difference between them and her real bandages, those could be seen where thick patches of red gathered on the fabric.

She didn't feel much of the pain, but that was probably the morphine talking. She gazed directly above her bed an irritated look on her face wondering just what she was dreaming about, because the dreams were starting to get on her nerves. She closed her eyes, recalling the melody she had sung for Kanda and Daisya weeks previously, a melody she had recalled from a dream. And then she opened her mouth and began to sing in a soft, gentle voice:

"Soshite bouya wa nemuri ni tsuita,  
ikizuku hai no naka no honoo hitotsu futatsu to  
ukabu fukurami itoshii yokogao."

The words echoed in the empty wing, the vibrations of music notes bouncing off the walls as her physical wounds lightened. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to stop them from over flowing. She knew the translation well enough, she didn't know why, but it made her sad.

_Then the boy fell asleep  
and one or two ambers in the fading ashes of the fire  
flared up in the shape of a beloved face_

"_Becoming an exorcist means you must sacrifice many things for the good of the world, but the question is, are you really willing to sacrifice your heart?"_

She gritted her teeth, forcing her protesting limbs forward as she turned her body so her legs dangled off the edge of the bed, her head ringing with that lone voice.

"_Being near someone…being with someone brings the possibility of loss, because you discover that you've found something far precious than life itself."_

Her sight blurred as the tears fell, dappling her hospital pants with spots as she pressed her hands into her eyes.

And the worst part about it was that she doubted he even understood how his words could have applied to them.


	4. On Angel's Wings

**Disclaimer: Katsura Hoshino owns D. Gray Man**

**Creation: Chapter Four: On Angel's Wings**

* * *

Junior didn't remember much about the time he almost died, when he had been struck by a stray bullet. He was kind of out it when he caught sight of those blurry silver eyes, but he could have sworn that she had wings, angel wings. And then his awareness faded completely. After that he only recalled a few snippets of memories: a gentle hand brushing aside his hair, wiping the sweat from his face, a soft kiss feathered onto his forehead.

A few days after his 'procedure' he could be found leaning against the thick trunk of a tree, looking at nothing in particular when a soft voice interrupted the silence.

"You really shouldn't be moving around, you'll reopen your wound."

Junior blinked his only eye as he took in the girl as she sat beside him. She was his age with short, choppy reddish-brown hair (so short that he almost mistook her for a boy) falling into her cloudy grey eyes. It was the eyes that caught his memory, no matter how little of it there was. The grey-eyed angel. He'd met her before, of course. She was the girl with no name and no home, the thief that no one saw. He didn't know how the old panda met her, but she was good, really good at what she did. He couldn't help but admire her; seven years old, living on her own, doing odd jobs so that she could feed her and her younger brother (who was four, mind you). But she didn't really like Junior, much to his disappointment, because she was very cute.

The warm wind rustled her coppery hair as she surveyed him coolly, before holding out something to him. He blinked and stared at its contents before thanking her and taking the warm bowl of stew, clumsily feeding himself as she sat down beside him. That by itself was an awing feat, as the girl never voluntarily sat near him unless her life depended on it.

"Why did you want to become a Bookman?" she finally asked him, twirling a crumbling leaf between her fingers as she stared out at the plains beyond, her eyes a bit opaque, the exact color of storm clouds before a long rain.

The question surprised Junior, because no one had ever asked him that before. Of course, he knew the answer, but it was more about the fact that people rarely asked his opinion -as you know, Bookmen were trained to be impartial and unbiased at all times.

"Because...because I get to know things that no one else will." He slurped his soup noisily, but the girl was unperturbed by the noise, having dealt with worse with her brother.

"Have been disappointed?"

The question startled him and he almost slopped his soup down his front.

"Because of the wars," She continued, elaborating for him.

"Oh…" Junior clicked his spoon against the chipped side of the bowl. "Humans disappoint me."

An echoing rustic noise that reverberated around them surprised him. She was laughing, her head ducked as her shoulders shook with laughter, laughter that was so unrefined and unsophisticated that it was out of place with her aristocratic features.

"Humans are often disappointments," she agreed, "but don't we all make mistakes, and don't we all pay for them?"

Junior frowned. Was that a jibe at him?

Her lips twitched into what was almost a smile. "After all, shouldn't Bookmen be not quite so reckless, getting shot by stray bullets?"

Junior had the decency to look at least sheepish, his cheeks pinking. "Yeah…thanks for that, by the way."

She surveyed him with those sharp eyes of hers once more, though her face was lined with suspicion. His face was very open, hiding nothing, or, perhaps that is what he desired, but she was not so easily swayed.

"Your eyes are like glass."

"Eh?" Junior tilted his head slightly, not quite understanding what she was talking about. "What d'you mean?"

"There is nothing within, no heart, no soul, nothing but a reflection of what we want to see," she said in a serene sort of voice that didn't sound much like her.

"You think I don't have a heart?" he asked in surprise.

She raised an eyebrow. "I think you have grown so used to not using it that _you_ no longer believe you have a heart," she corrected him, her fingers tapping against the bandage that covered her whole right arm with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Perhaps you have forgotten that you are human as well?"

He tensed slightly at those words as she abruptly stood. "Saving your life was a favor for Bookman-san, that is all. I care little for the ideals of your clan; I prefer things of the more permanent nature."

Junior smirked as he recalled how different their dynamics were now as opposed to then.

* * *

_"You're weird."_

_The young man looked up from his book to gaze at a child easily five years his junior. He recognized her quite easily, of course; that combination of dark curls and golden eyes belonged to only one Lady Nora Campbell. She was cute he supposed, in an afterthought, but then, all children were. However, it was clear that Nora would be taking very much after her mother, if her current looks were anything to go by._

_Nora's nose twitched slightly as she wrinkled it, staring down at him where he sat on a root of her favorite tree. She was wearing her 'play clothes' which had once belonged to her older brother, Mana, and were obviously more suited for a male, but Nora was the kind of person who didn't care much for public appearances (the young man could easily pick out the grass stains on the knees of the trousers, a variety of rips that needed to be stitched, and her face had a smudge of dirt across one cheek and leaves tangled in her curls._

_Her golden eyes seemed to glow brightly in the sunlight as she canted her head to the side in a curious movement. They narrowed slightly as she crossed her arms._

_"I'm weird?" he questioned her, though a sly smile slipped onto his face, a smile that had her almost take a step back, but she stopped at the last second. "How's that?"_

_"'Cause you read all the time, that's why," she said stoutly in that all-knowing voice that children often had._

_"I like to read," he said, his blue eyes lighting up just a tiny bit. "Don't you have something you like to do?"_

_Nora bounced on the balls of her feet, nodding in agreement. "I like to sing, and Nea likes to play the piano, we play sometimes for Mother and Mana."_

_He had heard her once; her voice reminded him of some Celtic singers he had heard traveling around. She had a natural quality to her voice that few had._

_"Indeed," was all he said, "and where are your brothers now?"_

_She was rarely unaccompanied, always sticking to her twin's side like glue or hanging off of her elder brother._

_"Busy," Nora said in a noncommittal sort of way. "What's your name?" she asked abruptly._

_A pair of blue eyes blinked. "My name?" he asked startled._

_"You're a member of the Bookman Clan," she noted, tapping her lips with a finger, "so obviously you don't really have a name, but what's your name for this log?"_

_He was impressed, he hadn't ever heard of anyone but the Black Order who knew of the details of his clan._

_"Jean," he said after a long moment. "Currently, I am Jean."_

_"Hm," was all Nora could say to that. "Jean," she said, pronouncing the French name perfectly with her aristocratic tongue. She leaned forward, placing her hands on top of his knees as she invaded his space. She was practically nose to nose with him, something that was undoubtedly unacceptable in that day and age. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion before she leaned away rather suddenly with a "hmph"._

"_I still think you're weird," she repeated in disdain, flouncing off to find a new tree to climb as the one she wanted was currently unavailable, ignorant of the amused eyes watching her._

Lenalee thumbed a worn page of her book apprehensively. She had actually stolen the book from Colette –it was about the sorcery the Skulls (agents of the Millennium Earl) and the Black Order's magicians employed-, but she was sure Colette wouldn't mind; she told her that any of her books were hers while she was away. It was the kind of gesture that a sister would give towards another sister, and it had made Lenalee tear up a bit. She glanced over to where the white-haired girl lay comatose. According to the logs, she had awoken briefly, but since then she had not stirred even once. It had been touch and go whether or not she would pull through, Lenalee had heard the Head Nurse tell her brother, but somehow, her injuries had seemed to heal themselves –not unlike Yuu Kanda's, she had said-, not completely, but to an extent where she wasn't likely to die. Komui had called it "using her special skill," referring to Colette's ability to charm with her voice. Lenalee had only seen her use it once, and that was only to heal some minor injuries, but it was an impressive gift, nonetheless.

Colette's breaths were not even, that was the most worrying part about her condition. The damage to her chest had been extensive and would put her out of commission for days, if not weeks, depending on how fast she healed.

Her pale hair was splayed out onto the cushions, giving them an off-white color compared to her hair, and her cheeks were dusted with a feverish pink from her elevated temperature. Roseanne had been flying nonstop above her mistress' face before finally settling down into the crevice between her neck and pillow. Usually when Colette was back at HQ, Roseanne typically wandered wherever she desired. Of course, she spent a large amount of time with her mistress, but when she wasn't with her, she generally followed Kanda or Lenalee, depending on which one was in close proximity. Now, the golem hadn't even bothered to leave Colette's side, looking understandably miserable.

Lenalee understood the feeling. She had two reasons for hiding out in the hospital ward with Colette; one was that Colette was her friend and she was worried, but the other was that Kanda wasn't here to protect her from Inspector Lvellie, and when he wasn't, she usually drifted to Colette's side. This time, however, a statue might have been better company.

Or, at least, that was what she thought until Colette finally stirred, her pale eyes opening. The smoky orbs blinking in a sort of dazed fashion as she strained her stiff limbs to slowly sit up, despite Lenalee's protests.

The smile Colette gave her made her burst into tears, startling the whitette as the Chinese girl threw her arms around her neck, wetting Colette's shirt with her tears. Though the action did pull a bit at her wounds, Colette did her best to block out the pain, reaching a stiff arm to wrap around Lenalee's shoulders.

"It's alright," Colette assured her, her voice soft as she rubbed gentle circles into her trembling back –an action she had often repeated for her brother, whether he had wanted it or not. "I'm fine, see?"

Lenalee wasn't so impressed; no one got up and walked away mere days after being gored by an Akuma (unless, of course, your name spelled out Y-U-U K-A-N-D-A). But she didn't press the issue as she helped Colette back to her room for a long shower and a change of fresh clothes. Colette's room hadn't changed much in the last few years; she had a map taped to the wall, marking all the places she'd traveled to with red pins, a bookshelf had been added, holding the books she had picked up, and she had a Chinese wall scroll of water lilies floating on a lake, illuminated by reflected fireworks. It was a lovely piece of art, Lenalee had to admit as she traced the edges of the petals. It was easily the nicest thing Colette owned, and very obviously a gift, making Lenalee wonder who it was that gave it to her, but she never pressed the issue, allowing her curiosity to disappear from her mind as she linked arms with her friend as they made their way downstairs.

"Why don't we go help out Jeryy in the kitchen?" Colette asked her cheerfully with a bright smile that told Lenalee that she was trying to help her forget about the Inspector (she must have caught sight of him in the hall).

Lenalee was thankful for the suggestion, and beamed in response.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite lady assistants~~!"

Some new finders were a bit perturbed by the chef's enthusiasm and attitude as he cooed over the only female exorcists that resided within the European Branch. Colette scratched her head slightly, canting her head to the side as she surveyed one of her most favorite people at HQ. He was very interesting, to say the least.

"Hey, Jeryy!" Colette called cheerfully. "Need any help in the kitchen?"

What was really great about Jeryy was that he never questioned or pried into their business. So, even though he could have asked if they had been properly released from the hospital wing, he didn't. Besides, it didn't take much to guess that Colette was trying to hide Lenalee from Lvellie –an endeavor he whole-heartedly approved of- and hiding with him was the perfect cover. It helped that they both liked to help him out, whether it be cooking or cleaning.

"Sure do! I need some dishes washed, you up for it?" The chef responded as upbeat as ever.

"Sure, Jeryy, put us to work!"

Perhaps Jeryy should have been more specific, as the number of dishes was piled dangerously close to the ceiling, but Lenalee and Colette threw themselves into their work with vigor, chatting animatedly about whatever their mind came to.

"What would you be if you weren't an exorcist?" Lenalee asked eventually, her purple eyes flashing up to meet hers in between scrubs.

Colette shrugged her shoulders helplessly as she scrubbed harshly at a difficult stain. "Probably what I was before I came here: a tightrope walker."

"Really?" Lenalee couldn't help but be impressed. To be able to balance on a rope hundreds of feet in the air took considerable skill. That certainly explained why she moved with the precision that Lenalee had only seen with dancers. "I didn't know that."

Colette's mouth curled slightly into a hint of a slight smile. "I don't really talk much about my life before I came here…I have a lot of bad memories."

Lenalee could understand that, though her bad memories had begun with the first time she entered the Black Order. "There must have been good things, though," she ventured shyly.

"There were," Colette agreed, with a soft smile that reached her eyes, turning them silver. "My brother in particular."

Violet eyes blinked in surprise. "I didn't know you had a brother."

She immediately regretted it, because Colette's smile twisted into a pained grimace. "That's because he probably thinks I'm dead…I was supposed to bring him and Mana some lunch when I got back, but I ran into those Order members." Her voice was a combination of dejected and angry.

"Oh…I'm so sorry," Lenalee apologized. "How old is he?"

"Now, he'd be…twelve." She laughed suddenly. "That boy was a real piece of work; I think he knows more swear words than me!"

Lenalee let her have that small moment of remembrance.

"Wasn't there anyone else?" she asked after Colette's laughter had ceased. "Maybe a boy?"

Somehow, she wasn't all too surprised when a heated flush adorned Colette's cheeks at the mention of a romantic interest.

"Well…" She laughed nervously, but she couldn't keep the heat out of her cheeks no matter what she did.

Lenalee didn't try very hard to smother the giggles that had escaped her lips at Colette's embarrassment (so few things embarrassed her these days). "So who was it?"

"He was…" Colette paused, trying to think up a good adjective for the boy, "he was different, I guess. I called him 'Junior', like most people, I guess, because his name changed so often that it was just simpler that way."

"His name changed?" Lenalee asked dubiously.

Colette wrinkled her nose. "Well, it was kind of required with the life he led…and I didn't really like him at first."

"Why not?" Lenalee asked, curious of the story that had begun to unfold. She was starting to see Colette and "Junior" as a modern day Romeo and Juliet, despite knowing very little about either. This was perhaps the most she had ever heard about an exorcist having a love life.

"'Cause he was a fake," Colette said bluntly, rolling her eyes as she handed another dish to Lenalee to rinse and dry. "He would say things and they wouldn't mean a thing. It really pissed me off," she added in irritation. "And then he'd act all cute and try to get me to smile or blush…like that worked!"

Her vehemence amused Lenalee.

"So why did you finally start talking civilly?" she asked, putting away another plate.

Colette tilted her head, wincing an eye closed as she thought. "Well, that might have been after he got shot," she relented, "his teacher was sure he was going to die, he probably would have, if I hadn't been around, at least, that's what he thought."

"You don't agree?"

"I…do not admit to such actions such as pulling people from Death's arms," Colette spoke calmly. "I only healed him to the point where his life was not in danger, after that we finally had a conversation that didn't end with me trying to bury him alive, so that was something."

Lenalee could feel a sweat drop forming on the side of her head at how casual Colette was about wanting to kill people. She really was a very complicated person, that much was the truth.

"Exorcist Walker."

Both Lenalee and Colette turned towards the speaker. It was a young woman dressed in the formal attire that those from Central wore. Colette's eyes shifted to the pair behind her. The hooded cloaks hid their identities well, but she recognized them and their symbol; they were CROW.

"Can I help you?" Colette asked, her voice remarkably cool as she surveyed the trio that was drawing the attention of everyone in the mess hall.

"I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, Walker-san," the woman said blandly.

Colette arched an eyebrow. "And if I don't?" she asked in that mild voice of hers.

Lenalee's eyes widened to the point where they probably would've popped out of her head and she still wouldn't have noticed, completely shocked and scared at the woman's next words.

"Then you will be branded a traitor and executed for heresy."


	5. Interrogation

**Disclaimer: Katsura Hoshino owns D. Gray Man**

**Creation: Chapter Five: Interrogation**

* * *

For one who could be convicted of treason, Colette Walker was very calm. She sat on the sofa before Komui's desk in his messy office with an utterly bored expression on her face. One of her elbows rested on the arm of the sofa, her hand cushioning her head. Her legs were crossed, one foot bouncing loosely in the open air as she waited patiently. Roseanne was trembling behind Colette's neck, hiding in her hair, showing more emotion than Colette. The poor golem probably understood Colette's situation better than she did.

"Walker-san, do you know why you're here?" The words echoed in the silence, drawing her attention away from Komui's desk where she had begun to memorize the number of coffee stains he had left behind.

Colette blinked in an attempt to collect her thoughts and raised her head slightly, accidentally pulling her wounds with the movement. She forced her face to remain slack and emotionless; she hated showcasing her weaknesses.

"No," she said finally, directing her attention to the man who had caused her a great deal of pain only several years previously, "unless you're here to tell me that getting gored by an Akuma somehow amounts to treason?" Her amusement was tinged with darkness, displaying her anger towards the man on a subtle degree.

Komui winced at how clipped and spiteful her voice had turned, that was her tell that told everyone to run away before 'Black Colette' came and tried to massacre them all. Colette was obviously on the bridge between calm and pissed off, and that bridge was annoyance. A lot of annoyance, it seemed. On the plus side, Colette didn't run away from the inspector like Lenalee always did; she was stronger in that sense. Hopefully, she would keep her head.

Colette's fingers of her right hand were completely numb, in fact, she couldn't even feel her right arm at all. Central's CROWs had placed seals over it, which was strange, since hardly anyone knew of her Innocence that was embedded throughout her arm –let alone Central-, though, she supposed, it might be a precaution to keep her from moving effectively as her right side was the dominant side of her body.

"You are here because several exorcists have reported that the Millennium Earl has shown a heightened interest in "that Walker girl"," Lvellie said those words with disdain, showing his blatant dislike for the exorcist.

Colette raised an eyebrow, incredulous at this new information. She hadn't even met the Millennium Earl for God's sake! "So you're telling me that you want to kill me for being a spy because the Earl's got some kind of obsession?" Her lips twisted into a cruel smirk, one that didn't fit her face at all. "What the_ fuck_ are you _on_?"

The sudden use of swear words earned her a few gasps, and clearly she was treading on thin ice, but she didn't seem to care, glaring up at him. Komui grimaced; she was close to losing her head, it seemed.

"Unless you've got any real proof of me being a traitor, then I suggest you release me so I can go do my job, a job you are incapable of doing." Her immense dislike for the inspector was clear for all to see. She stood as she finished speaking, her eyes still narrowed in a glare.

"Colette-!" Komui tried to stop her from being incredibly rude to the inspector, but she did not heed the warning, her free hand curling into a fist.

"And seeing as I've not Fallen Into Fault, I would wager that I'm still loyal to the Innocence and the Church." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "So get the fuck out of my face."

"So then you have no idea why the Earl would want to contact you?" the inspector asked slyly.

"None," Colette growled. "Perhaps you should not be so quick to judge, Inspector." Her grey orbs flickered gold. "Perhaps it is you we should be monitoring."

The resulting slam of the door left rather noticeable cracks in the wall. Colette stormed angrily through the halls, forcing all those who walked them to flatten themselves against the wall so as not to be met by her wrath. When she'd finally made it to her room, she was much calmer (it helped that her room was up several flights of stairs), but she still had a raging headache, so without preamble, she threw herself onto her bad, promptly falling asleep.

_He had only just spotted her, but he recognized her in an instant, a wide grin spreading across his face. Gramps chuckled in amusement beside him, the cigarette between his lips glowing with heat as he nodded his permission to his bright apprentice. _

"_Lettie-chan~~! Dance with me!"_

_The girl gave a squeak of protest as the red-haired cyclops pulled her into the frenzied crowd, leaving behind her younger, snarky brother and polite adoptive father. "J-Junior-kun!" she yelped in embarrassment._

_His wild laughter made her smile –but only just- as he pulled her through the thick throng of people with the only constant in her situation the feeling of his warm hand enveloping hers. Her cheeks flushed expectantly as he pulled her into his arms, leading her through a series of steps and spins and twirls that would have made anyone dizzy, but she spent her spare time balancing on a rope meters above the ground. She tightened her grip on his shoulder as they spun dangerously close to a second couple. She bit her lip, feeling uncomfortable under the attention and stares from the onlookers._

"_Don't worry about them," Junior said, pulling her against his chest as he lifted her briefly before setting her once more on the ground. "It's just you and me." The way he said that sent a shiver down her spine, but Junior thought it was worth it because of how her eyes lit up and the way her smile spread across her face._

"_If you insist," she murmured, spinning gracefully in his arms, as if she was a talented dancer, unaware of the clapping hands that followed the finale of the song in which she was dipped lowly towards the ground. None of that mattered, she was in a world where only two people existed. Being in his arms felt…she wasn't quite sure how exactly to describe it…but she thought it would be more easily compared to 'home'. And that thought made her cheeks lit up like the sunset, leading to a rather embarrassing conversation of what exactly she had been thinking about. That conversation ended with Junior having his face buried into the ground by an irate Walker._

* * *

"_You're looking rather lovely, Lady Campbell."_

_Nora blinked, startled by the familiar voice. She peered up to the young man who had just bowed to her; she recognized his vibrant blue eyes and the short cropped blonde hair, but also the calm smile._

_Her own smile spread across her lips as she grinned up at him. "Hello, Jean, or is it a new name now?"_

_He scratched his cheek with an apologetic smile. "It's now, Shannon."_

"_Indeed," she hummed, jumping down from stone balcony that she had been sitting on, noting with a pleased smirk that he was subtly looking her up and down. Mother had insisted that she dress up for the occasion, and even Nea had to give her a compliment of how nice she looked. The midnight blue gown hugged her curves, but was still modest with a lace headband holding her dark curls at bay. The dark make-up around her eyes made them seem a darker gold. She had grown up since he'd last seen her and was now a young woman of fifteen and clearly had several possible suitors looking out for her, but here she was, giving only him her attention. "Is something wrong?"_

"_Hm?"_

_She'd caught him ogling, it seemed. His cheeks pinked as he smiled sheepishly at the heiress._

_She smirked wider, placing a delicate hand on her silken hip. "Is this where you ask me for a private dance in the gazebo, Future Bookman-san?"_

"_Ah, of course!" _

_She took the initiative and looped her arm through his, leading him away by the grip of her hand which was deceptively tight._

_The night was clear and open, the bright stars were tiny pinpricks in the sky overhead. The wind was a bit cool, but Nora didn't mind. She placed a hand on his shoulder, the other one clasping his hand as they swayed gently to music only they could hear._

"_How goes the recording?"_

"_Well enough," Shannon said with an easy smile. "How goes the singing?"_

_She smirked. "Well enough." She stuck out her tongue in a childish gesture that didn't fit her at all. "But I bet that my singing's gotten better than your study habits."_

_The laugh he gave her shook his shoulders as he tried to restrain it, but her smile made it worth it._

* * *

The scar was a bit obvious, Colette thought, tracing it with her fingers. A pale pink oval now rested on the left side of her stomach, and she knew there was a smaller version on her back. Colette didn't really mind scars, it was more that she cursed herself for her weakness at not being able to prevent it in the first place, and then there was Central. She gritted her teeth as she lowered her sleeveless training shirt that she always wore under her exorcist coat. Central accusing her of treason because of the stupid Earl. Her fists clenched together and shook violently. Next time she saw that tricky fat man, she was going to neuter him with her guns, that much she could say for sure.

But for now, she would have to settle with fighting Yuu to relieve the tension.

"KYA!"

She swung the practice sword against his with more force than she intended, actually forcing her opponent back a few steps, but that victory was short lived as Kanda pushed harder against her, sending a kick to her ribs that caused her to be thrown backwards into a pillar and collapse on the ground for a brief moment before she pulled herself back up, rushing in to attack once more.

"Oi! Colette! Komui wants you!"

The yell from a finder that ran away quickly so as not to meet her wrath forced her to stop short with a sullen look on her face.

"Until next time," she muttered mutinously, stalking towards the banister, before finally making it to Komui's office and opening the door with a slam. Komui gave a small womanly scream at the loud noise, calming down once he saw that it was Colette.

"Ah, Colette-chan!" he said nervously, treading gently around her emotions as he had since Central left HQ. "I'm glad you could come so quickly, I have a new mission for you."

"Huh?" Colette blinked in surprise, but the irritation left her eyes as she took the file from Komui, ignoring his sigh of relief. "China?"

"Yes," Komui agreed. "Two supporters of ours, a mother and daughter, have voiced their concern that the city they reside in might be thoroughly infected by Akuma, though they are unsure how such a thing happened. You have been requested to go undercover as the daughter while she is out visiting family for the next month."

Colette raised an eyebrow at that.

"You'll understand when you meet her," Komui explained quickly. "You bear a slight resemblance."

"Uh-huh…Why are you sending me on a solo mission, Komui?" Colette asked, suddenly suspicious. "Only really good exorcists have solo missions."

"Colette-chan, don't sell yourself short," Komui said with a wide smile. "We haven't seen promise like yours since Kanda-kun."

Colette's mouth dropped open, mouthing wordlessly at him, astounded by the blunt compliment.

"General Tiedoll himself said that he anticipated you becoming the next general in a few years or so."

Colette's heart beat rather harshly against her rib cage. "_General?_" she breathed.

Komui reached out a hand to steady her, but his smile was kind. "Colette-chan, you've surpassed all of our expectations. None of us think you have anything to do with the Earl."

She sucked in her lower lip and bit down, unease filling her eyes. "Did Master really say that?" she asked quietly.

"He did." Komui gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Now go and pack! We've made you a new uniform since you kind of ripped apart the last one!"

Her lips twitched at his feeble joke and then she raised her head to smile at him. "Thank you, Komui." And then she disappeared out the door.

"You're leaving? But you just got back!"

Colette didn't speak for a moment, pulling the new jacket over her shoulders, zipping and buttoning the front before speaking.

"I'm the only person who could pull off looking like Ming Liu, it seems." Colette tossed her a grin. "I don't really mind. It beats sticking around here and getting my ass handed to me by Yuu."

Lenalee gave her a small smile as she buckled her "Salvation" holsters onto her thighs, pulling fingerless elbow length black gloves up her arms. "Are you hoping to see him?"

"Hm?" Colette's eyes fell on her, betraying her confusion. "I'm afraid I don't know which 'he' you're talking about, you'll have to specify."

A direct glare was thrown her way, making Colette laugh nervously in turn. "You know who I'm talking about."

"There's no telling where that fool will be," Colette said with an amused shrug, "I just want to get away for awhile, that's all."

She was oddly chipper about it, Lenalee noticed, as she curled her legs underneath her, watching as Roseanne flitted about the room, sometimes pulling out things that Colette had forgotten. The light from the window caught Colette's ear, illuminating the simple silver hoop she had hanging from each lobe. They were a birthday present from Lenalee and Komui when she turned fourteen; Lenalee was impressed that they'd lasted as long as they did.

"Are you happy, Colette?"

A single grey eye blinked at her under the sloppily tilted headband, surprise and confusion coloring the bright orb. "Well, yes, I suppose so." She smiled cheekily, ruffling Lenalee's violet hair. "Everyone here is precious to me, and I want to help them to the best of my ability. Keep an eye on your brother for me while I'm gone, alright?"

For a moment, Lenalee didn't speak, merely watching her leave and descend the stairs, but then she gathered her wits about her and raced out of the room to yell: "Come home safely, Colette!"

She didn't bother stopping or turning, only raising a hand in farewell, but that was enough. She winked and waggled her fingers at Kanda as she passed him by, and all he gave her was an almost unnoticeable nod.

_You always give us that smile, Colette_, Lenalee thought sadly, _like_ _you truly understand us better than we do, but you always look so sad. _Lenalee couldn't help but wonder if she was as happy as she said she was.

And then she turned back, raising her head upwards to give Lenalee that closed-eye smile of hers. "Take care of yourself, Lenalee."

Lenalee opened her mouth to say something in return, but she couldn't think of the proper words to say, at the same time, though, it hardly mattered.

* * *

Colette could feel the water sinking through her boots as she splashed through the river to reach the Asian Branch's entrance. That was the most annoying part about this day: getting water in her shoes. The train ride had been fine, and exhausting, and she'd probably caught up on a few days of sleep. If anything, she'd slept a bit too much; Junior would be proud. She hadn't realized how much sleep she had actually been losing until she'd fallen asleep.

Finally she happened upon the wide arch. She pulled herself out of the water, standing in front of it, curiosity lighting her only visible eye as she approached, the curiosity changing to utter confusion in seconds as she saw the arch led to nothing.

"Eh?" she questioned aloud, placing a hand against the wall, jumping at the hum of energy beneath her palm. Before she even had time to breathe, however, she had been pulled into the wall. She tried to cry out in alarm, but then the wall had covered her cries.

Seconds later, she appeared on the other side, still completely stunned.

"You that exorcist from HQ?"

Colette jumped, looking down at the person who had presumably pulled her through the wall and found herself staring. She had the appearance of a young girl with reddish-pink hair framing her face under a purple hat that matched her revealing outfit. Strange teal geometrical marking patterned her skin and in the place of hands she had odd mitten-like appendages instead.

When she realized she'd been staring, Colette's cheeks turned pink. "Um, yes, that's me."

"Tch!" The girl said in a manner not unlike Kanda's. "Guess the idiot'll be looking for ya…Follow me."

"That's not necessary, Fou," a second voice cut in. "I'm already here."

The white rose cross was the first thing that caught her attention. So this was the Branch Chief? She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she doubted it was him. The man was maybe Komui's age with messy blonde hair tucked under a black beret with sharp blue eyes. His uniform was rather unlike Komui's, though. His white coat –a symbol of him being the Branch Chief- was tight and in the form of a balero. And he was short, very short, only slightly taller than her.

His smile was genuine, which was something, she supposed, as he held out his hand, which she automatically met with hers.

"Welcome, Colette Walker, to the Asian Branch."


	6. Creation

**Disclaimer: Katsura Hoshino owns D. Gray Man**

**Creation: Chapter Six: Creation**

* * *

"We're underground?" Colette gazed around in awe, taking in the numerous pillars and structures. "The architecture is amazing! How did it get like this?"

Bak smirked at how impressed she was by the Asian division. She was craning her neck to take in everything.

"It actually used to be a cave, but it's been excavated to the point where it's larger than the main HQ," Bak explained, strangely proud of his branch.

She appraised him silently, taking him in. "You grew up here?"

Her words surprised him, and she gave him a sheepish smile, her embarrassment shining through. "Ah, sorry about that, I tend to blurt things out on the fly…I once made a living by reading people."

"And stealing from them," Fou added with a sly grin that made Colette flush in further embarrassment, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

"Well, no one said it had to be an honest living," she muttered under her breath, ducking her head to avoid looking at them.

"Ah, there you are! We were starting to think you'd gotten cold feet!" The voice echoed in the cavern, bouncing off the walls making it difficult to pinpoint the owner's exact location.

The woman and daughter stood out against the fleet of white that was scientists moving about. Their features were sharp and angular, aristocratic, and their clothes were made of the finest silk Colette had ever seen. They were a beautiful pair.

"This is Song Liu," Bak introduced the older woman first, "and her daughter Ming."

"Pleased to meet you," Colette said, giving a low, respectful bow to the two. It was ingrained in her to be respectful to those of a higher class, and even though her polite manner had diminished somewhat when she was at the Order, she could still not break from this habit.

The younger one was slightly stunned at her response, though Colette couldn't be exactly sure why. Surely people in China bowed? She shrugged internally putting it off as her looks with her polite attitude.

Song smiled kindly at Colette in a way a woman might to her daughter, but Colette had never been on the receiving side of a look like that, not even from her own mother had smiled at her like that.

"Thank you so much for doing this," Song said, her voice light with gratitude.

Colette shrugged casually. "Well, it is kind of my job," she admitted with a half smile. The smile had her closing her eyes, giving Song a chance to survey her.

Her features were strange, but in a way that one might have expected them in an Apsara (water spirit). Her hair was the color of moonlight reflected in water, and her eyes –eye, pardon her- were like liquid starlight. She could have mistaken the girl to be of higher class with looks like that, no matter how odd, but her eyes were harder, conveying the difficult lifestyles she had lived through. This was a warrior in every sense of the word, one who had remarkable strength…so why did that powerful feeling send a chill down Song's spine?

"Is something wrong?"

Song blinked and smiled bracingly at the inquisitive girl. "It's nothing." And, surprisingly, the girl dropped it, albeit still curious.

The resemblance was uncanny, Colette had to admit as Ming Liu looked her over. The facial structure, that is, (though, Colette's was definitely softer and more effeminate but that was where their resemblance ended) Ming's eyes were a gentle brown and her hair a midnight black, contrasting quite significantly with Colette's light features. Still, she could see why she had been chosen to act as her double, even if it was only for a little while and she was unlikely to be seen at upper class parties.

"I don't go out much," Ming admitted, "so I doubt anyone will be able to notice the difference between you and me with the hair dye and contacts..." She frowned, peering at Colette's face, scrutinizing, she knew, her scar. "A little make-up should hide that scar of yours." She giggled when Colette pulled a face at the mention of cosmetics. "Not a fan?"

"I can deal," Colette muttered under her breath, despite her lack of care towards the stuff.

"Here's a book on etiquette-" Song had pulled out a rather thick book, having brought it along in case her daughter's double was expected to act as Ming herself before others.

"That's not necessary," Colette interjected, suddenly appearing wan and tired, as if she'd aged twenty years in seconds. "I was taught etiquette at a young age."

Song didn't press the issue, though Colette could practically see the curiosity filling her eyes, wondering why and who taught her.

"Where were you noticing spikes in Akuma activity?" Colette asked instead, her eyes serious as she glanced between Bak and Song. Bak motioned for the small group to follow him as he led them into his office where a map of China had been expanded across the screen.

"Near the sea-side," Song admitted to Colette's earlier question, motioning to the large number of red dots the screen had, "the sailors and sea-merchants have been on the decline recently and the rate of suicides has gone up, and as you know-"

"Tragedy breeds Akuma," Colette finished with a morose nod. "I'm guessing there are some sort of abandoned areas in that region?"

"A fish factory," Ming explained helpfully, "it's been shut down for a few months, but there's a couple more spread out over that area."

"Hm..." was all Colette said, a thoughtful expression on her face, before giving Bak her full attention. "Bak-san, how long do you anticipate this mission taking?"

"Anywhere from a few days to a week or more," Bak informed her after doing a few mental calculations, "depending on the amount of Akuma in the vicinity."

Colette frowned, but she said nothing about the time it would take. Her only visible eyes was moving back and forth like one who was reading across a page at an increased rate. Bak could almost see the gears whirring behind her eyes.

"Three days."

"Hm?" Bak couldn't help the noise of surprise that escaped him.

"Three days," Colette repeated in a certain voice, a thoughtful expression on her face. "That is how long I need to crack this."

* * *

"Tell me about yourself." The command was soft, but firm all the same, and it had Colette lifting her eyes from the file in her arms to gaze at the woman whom was pretending to be her mother.

"About myself?" she repeated, confusion coloring her voice as she shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Why?"

Song smiled. "I am a curious woman, Colette-san, enlighten me, if you will."

Colette twisted a (now) dark lock between her thin fingers, before finally answering. "The name Colette isn't mine, I was born with a different one, and I had another stage name while I was at the circus."

Brown eyes widened, though barely. "You were in the circus?" she inquired. "What did you do?"

"Tightrope acrobatics."

Song had taken Ming to the circus once when she was a child, and she had to admit that when she saw the slim men and women on top of a thin rope with nothing to catch them if they fell, her heart had flipped several times in her chest at the dangerous sport.

Colette's lips upturned slightly as she recalled her time in the circus. "My stage name was "Melody"…I was told it suited me."

Song caught sight of the barely perceptible flush that brushed across her cheeks. "From a young man, no?"

"Perhaps." Colette's attention had turned back to the map she had lain out on a free table, making detailed marks of where Akuma were sighted and where they could be gathering. "He would be sixteen by now."

"You liked him," Song noted gently.

Colette shrugged her shoulders, focusing her attention instead on the task at hand, Komui's words still ringing in her ears: _"We haven't seen promise like yours since Kanda-kun…you've surpassed all our expectations." _A small smile played on her lips as she consulted some old newspaper clippings. "I like a lot of people, besides, I don't really have time for romance with my line of work."

Song held her gaze for a few seconds, seeing how much she believed in those words. It made her a little sad. "There isn't anything you want to do? Anything you want to be? Any future you see for yourself?"

"I am what I want to be," Colette said, her voice a bit tired. "And as long as I have legs and can move forward, I'll always have a future." It was a philosophical view, she had to admit, and it was Mana's as well, but now it was hers too. "And one day I will be a general."

She said it with such certainty that Song believed her, and then a sheepish smile formed on her face. "Sorry…that was a little…" Her voice trailed off as she thought of the perfect word to describe it, but she could come up with nothing. She pondered it a bit further, when-

"_Creation."_

The book that she had been rifling through fell from her arms to collide with floor in an echoing bang, but she paid it little heed, her hands clutching her head at the sudden echoing voice that resonated in her skull. She wasn't even sure what brought it on, only knowing that it caused her pain. Her knees buckled as the pain intensified and the last thing she heard was Song yelling for a doctor.

"Hey, you!" a harsh voice coughed. "Hey, girl, _listen_!"

Colette blinked hard, finding herself in an unrecognizable place. It was an abandoned alley with a discolored brick wall to the back, the bricks discolored by blood. Only two people were in the alley, leaning with their backs against the wall. The male was dead, his golden eyes staring blankly ahead as the girl –his sister- held him to her side, her body trembling with fatigue. Her wounds were numerous and deep, and loosely in her hands she held a thick blade –a broadsword- patterned with black and white. Nora Campbell had clearly seen better days.

Her lips twitched upwards as Colette stared at her. "What'cha lookin' at?"

Colette pointed at herself, stunned. "Me?" Usually she took a back seat in these memories, watching from the sidelines, the unseen observer.

"Who else would I be talkin' to?" Nora spat a glob of blood onto the area beside her. "Now pay attention, 'cause I'm only gunna say this once."

Colette gulped, unconsciously straightening her back as she did so.

"Creation is a complex art that only you will be capable of," Nora said, her voice as bleak as her appearance. "It is a gift, a gift to the Fifteenth, its designed to be the mirror of the Fourteenth, meaning it's the exact opposite…I'm sure that you'll find that similarity between your and Allen's skills."

"You-You know Allen?" Colette stuttered, completely blowing past the "Fourteenth" and "Fifteenth" since she couldn't make head or tails of that.

Gold eyes narrowed slightly. "Perhaps. Creation is not made of Dark Matter like many of the skills of the Noah- don't ask," she added when Colette opened her mouth, her eyes confused. "Creation can influence Dark Matter, but it is like magic, very advanced magic that only you can utilize to create something out of nothing; it is a singular gift, so use it wisely."

Colette was silent for a long moment, feeling very much like those answers just gave her more questions. "Can I ask you something?"

Nora's tired eyes fell on her and she groaned. "What?"

"Are you with the Earl or the Order?" Colette asked, tilting her head ever so slightly.

Her bloody lips twitched upwards into a smile. "Neither, darlin', Nea and I have found the third side of the war; maybe one day you will too."

"Oh," Colette said weakly, not really understanding what she was talking about. "Why are you telling me this?"

"The ghosts of the past often influence the specters of the future," Nora said, almost giving a shrug but thinking better of it at the last moment, "knowledge was something my love always advocated." Her voice grew soft as she said that, before she coughed violently again. "I am sure we will meet again, Colette Walker."

"Huh? Wait!" But the world was shut out by darkness, leaving Colette to awaken in Ming's room.

* * *

Colette had slipped out the room late at night, feigning sleep when she heard the voices of Song's guests, a man and a child. Poor Roseanne had been hiding in her bag so as not to arouse suspicion and had almost suffocated –if that was possible for a golem- so as not to give her mistress away. Now, the red flying ball was resting on her shoulder as she walked through the streets of Quingdao, her hood hiding her features from view. She had had to forgo her exorcist uniform and instead wore a dark violet trench coat much to her disapproval and dislike.

"Nora Campbell," she murmured under her breath, "she was a strange one…"

Roseanne rubbed her face (head? Body?) against her mistress' neck in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.

"No matter," Colette sighed, glancing to her golem, "I'll think about that later, we have a job to do."

Roseanne bobbed her body resolutely, curling around Colette's arm as she took off for the port.

The seaside was utterly silent, which wasn't too surprising considering how late at night it was, but her left eye pulsed automatically, revealing the glowing souls of the Akuma. Their deteriorated souls always threw her heart into disarray, but her Master had assured her, that her response was a human one. She saw how they truly looked and it sickened it her, it was only natural, but no one else saw the hell that she did. She had no one to turn to when the souls were too much for her to handle. But that was two years ago, now she was an experienced exorcist with many battles behind and ahead of her, but she was also sadder. Lenalee had noticed, Master had noticed, even Kanda had noticed.

"Are you willing to forgo your own happiness so that their souls can be saved?" Master had once asked her, and now she realized that she didn't. If there was one thing Colette Walker liked, it was balance, and she was not balanced. Good and evil, happiness and sadness; she needed her balance.

Colette gazed into the empty town, or the seemingly empty town, it seemed. Her left eye had already begun to react, turning it to rings of black and red. Two…seven…thirteen…twenty-seven… The sheer amount of Akuma surprised her, but at the same time she had expected it.

She smirked. "Hang tight, Roseanne," she said to the golem still tight around her arm, "this'll only take a second."

There had really been no point to put Salvation on silent, so she was as loud as possible as she blew the Akuma apart so fast that Kanda would have been impressed, leaping from house to house and disappearing into the fish factory once the Akuma had all been shot.

"Innocence," she breathed in the silence, her breath visible in the cold night, the pistols glowing green, "Activate Level Two: Rose Cross!" She raised her pistols so that they made a cross as the elongated into shotguns.

"Aww…coming to greet a guest," Colette cooed as she aimed the weapons at the Akuma that were slowly exiting the factory, "how kind of you!"

Soon following those words were several gunshots followed by something that sounded distinctly like a cannon, not that anyone would admit to hearing such things after reading the paper the next day speaking of how the port town's residents had completely turned to dust overnight.

The morning was just dawning when Colette stood silently in the wreckage, her hands pressed together in a silent prayer for the saved souls. Why couldn't all her missions be as simple as this, she couldn't help but wonder as she pulled the overcoat over her body once more, having dropped it to free her limbs before.

She sighed tiredly, but smiled nonetheless at her golem. "Ready to head home, Roseanne?"

She was sure the creature had purred in agreement.

* * *

"An exorcist was here?"

Song nodded contentedly as she poured him a drink, carefully making sure that his companion only had tea. "She was a sweet thing, but old enough to be considered a woman by many… a good exorcist it seemed. She wished to be the next general."

Cross Marian paused drinking to eye his sponsor for a moment. "Big dream," he grunted.

Song shrugged. "Perhaps she will reach it, she certainly seemed capable of it."

"What was her name?" Cross asked, his red eye peering at her, the other hidden behind the white mask that obscured part of his face.

"Colette Walker."

Allen stiffened beside his master, shocked by the person who was now revealed to be his missing-and-presumed-to-be-deceased elder sister. His memories of her were few and frustratingly dim, causing him a great deal of annoyance. He remembered her smile the most, the amused one she gave him as she ruffled his hair, assuring him that his arm didn't make him disgusting, it just made him _him_, her brother that she wouldn't trade for anyone else in the world.

Now there was a possibility that they would meet again, this time, both as exorcists of the Black Order.


	7. Melody

**Disclaimer: Katsura Hoshino owns D. Gray Man**

**Creation: Chapter Seven: Melody**

* * *

Allen walked out the door of Song-san's home mere days after his sister had left, when the woman called him back in for a brief moment.

Song smiled kindly down at the small boy, kneeling until she was eye level with him. With his face so close, she could see the siblings shared a number of similarities. The shock of white hair, scar, and color of eyes being the most obvious traits, though it was like looking in the mirror since Colette's was on the opposite side of her face. They had the same…aura about them, the same echoing sadness.

Into his hand she pressed something small and cold, and once he opened it, he realized it was a button with a flower-shaped impression. He turned it on its back, his eyes widening as his fingers roved over the name carved there: Colette Walker.

He looked up to Song who was still smiling that gentle smile of hers. "I'm sure she left it for you, Allen-kun."

Allen was sure she had as he gripped it so tightly in his palm that he was sure the button left a mark on his skin. This was the closest he'd felt to her since her disappearance, and how he wished he could run off to God-knows-where in an attempt to find her, but he knew his efforts would be unsuccessful.

* * *

"I said I'm fine, Bak-san!" Colette's voice was becoming shorter and sharper as the man continued to stall her from leaving.

"B-But, your injuries!" Bak Chang stuttered out, still blocking the door from her as she zipped up her uniform from the front, slanting her headband over her eye once more.

"My injuries are fine, Bak-san," Colette said patiently, "you shouldn't worry so much."

"Shouldn't worry-?!" Bak sputtered incoherently, his face still a little flushed from her lack of dress before. "You came in here like death had warmed over!"

A grey eye blinked at him in surprise, her head tilting to the side as she gave an angelic smile. "Did I really?" she asked. "Ah, well, I'm fine now."

"Fine?!" he choked out.

"Roseanne," Colette had turned her attention towards her golem once more, completely ignoring the branch chief who was still trying to get her attention, "are there any other exorcists in the surrounding areas?"

Bak stared at the golem as it trilled a few recorded notes.

"Hm…Noise Marie, you say?" Colette remarked, having understood the notes completely. "What is his location?"

Roseanne opened her jaws wide and revealed a map of China, a large red dot symbolizing Colette's location and a large blue dot a couple of inches from the red, symbolizing Marie's. Colette cupped her chin with her hand in thought. "Probably doable," she mused aloud. "Roseanne…you know about "Creation", don't you?"

"Eh?" Bak stared at her uncomprehendingly. "Walker-san, what are you talking about?"

Roseanne nodded.

"Is "Creation" capable of moving through dimensions?" Colette asked her directly. "It can, can't it?"

Roseanne nodded again.

"Well, this will be interesting," Colette said with a grin as she tied her bag to her back, replacing her pistols in their holsters on her thighs. Finally she turned her attention to Bak, holding out her hand with that radiant smile of hers. "It's been a pleasure, Bak-san. Thank you for all the assistance."

And at long last, Bak sighed and met her hand with his own, feeling the coarseness of her palm, the fragile strength it possessed. "It has been an honor, Walker-san."

She gave him one last smile before ducking out of the room to head towards the entrance. It was a little sad that someone so young would throw herself so deeply into the Black Order, to bind herself entirely to the Akuma that she could not rest with their continued existence.

As soon as she had gone, he finally answered the phone to Komui.

"You were right about her," he said into the receiver, "Colette Walker does have a lot of potential…her analyses were spot on, like you said."

"I see," the garbled response came from the other end.

"Was that what this mission was?" Bak asked with a quirked eyebrow. "A test of her loyalty?"

"A test of her willpower," Komui corrected, "to see if she could handle being a general."

"So, did she pass?" Bak asked dryly.

"With flying colors," Komui admitted with a soft sigh. "She's only a fifteen year old child…I have my reservations."

Bak cleared his throat, not disagreeing with him there. "There's something else I think you should know about her."

"Hm?" The noise of surprise escaped Komui's receiver before he could even stop it. "What do you mean?"

"That girl's put her body through hell and she's only fifteen, but if you put too much strain on the finest tool, even it will break," Bak warned, his voice taking on a melancholic tone. "Just make sure she doesn't run herself into the ground trying to reach that dream of hers."

"I'll pass on your concerns, Bak-chan~!" Komui sang through the device, forcing Bak to remove it from his ear so as not to permanently impair his hearing.

"Don't call me-!" But he was already gone.

* * *

Colette stirred feebly before her eyes finally flashed open. The last thing Colette remembered was stepping sideways and falling, so she was surprised to find herself on a couch of white cushions. The room was remarkably bare, and white. A music stand stood in the center of the room, offset by the couch, bed, dresser and bookcase. Even with those items, there wasn't much to the room. She blinked again, finally seeing the piano that stood off center to the music stand. She almost hadn't seen it, the camouflage spell on it was very strong, but it flickered and faded before her eyes.

The piano drew her forward, but once she'd taken a step forward, she changed her mind, going instead towards the bookcase, pulling out a random book. It didn't really matter which one she pulled out, they all were yellowed with age. The pages were very delicate, like someone had read them often. She blinked in surprise when she pulled out a black and white photograph from the pages. The back had a cursive inscription: _My blue rose, forever connected to my soul_.

It was a sweet endearment, Colette mused as she turned it over to see the people within it. Nora and "Shannon" had their arms wrapped around each other, smiling into the camera. She didn't know why, but it made her feel…melancholic.

"Nee-chan, come." The voice was ghostly, with a hard edge, echoing in the almost empty room.

Colette moved slowly, her legs wavering slightly as she turned and gazed at the boy she had often seen in her dreams. His golden eyes were the same, and he had the soft features that Mana had once had, only now his skin was a heavy sheen of grey, stigmata lining his forehead beneath his messy, spiky, dark hair. His smile reminded Colette of Allen more than it should have, she noticed as she approached wearily, one hand clutched into a fist over her heart. "You mean me?"

Nea Walker raised an eyebrow, but the smile on his lips was more than faintly amused. "You," he agreed, "Nora Walker."

Colette's forehead crinkled up in confusion, having thought Nora's last name was Campbell, but at the same time knowing it was her name as Mana's last name had been Walker.

He held out a hand to her, his smile reassuring. "Take my hand, Nora, and let us perform one last duet."

"I…I don't under-" Colette's words caught in her throat as Nea cupped her cheek, pressing a familial kiss to her temple, much like Mana used to.

"Ah, that Bookman didn't deserve you," he sighed forlornly, smoothing a thumb over her cheek, "but he didn't deserve to die like he did…one last song, like I promised, and we'll run away together, just like we always said."

"…Of course," Colette said, though she felt more confused than anything, but she took his hand all the same, allowing him to lead her forward.

Nea released his gentle hold on her fingers as he sat before the piano, his long fingers flowing effortlessly over the keys, creating an ethereal melody that Colette had grown used to after all these years, hearing it ringing in her ears into the odd hours of the night. And she opened her mouth, adding to the beautiful music. It created a lovely effect, until it was shattered suddenly and Colette was expelled from the room rather abruptly.

She screamed as she reappeared in the real world, falling through the air with nothing to cushion her fall, that is until a pair of hands caught her.

She remembered the sightless eyes quite well, and the headphones he utilized to amplify his hearing. Noise Marie set her gently on the ground of the demolished wall he was hiding behind.

"Please be quiet, Colette, or they will be upon us," his deep voice soothed her nerves, frayed from the fall.

She gave him a shaky smile, squeezing one of his large hands. "Sorry," she whispered, shifting her headband upwards to reveal the now black and red eye. "You look like hell," she muttered, taking in the older man's cuts and bruises. "A bunch of Level Twos gang up on you?"

"You have no idea," Marie murmured back.

"You take the left, I'll take the right?" Colette guessed as the shadows of the Akuma were nearly upon them.

"Of course," the blind man said with a smile as the pair dived away from the wall that exploded behind them, sending debris in every direction. Colette was forced through the air as a slab of stone slammed into her back, knocking her to the ground with the grace of a rag doll.

"Tch!" She found herself resorting to Kanda's vocabulary as she struggled to withdraw her weapon, firing it in a quick succession. Her accuracy wasn't up to her usual par, only hitting two out of the five. She swore loudly and colorfully as she dived behind a row of ruined buildings, avoiding the blast of the blood bullets (not that they could kill her: parasitic-type, remember? But old habits die hard, it seemed.) that rained down on her by employing the feverish maneuvers that she often used when attempted to avoid Mugen in training.

The air filled with the sounds of organs and gunshots as Marie and Colette moved through the destroyed town working hard at destroying the creatures within it. Colette would never admit how difficult it was for her to be tossed to and fro by explosions, but the truth was she ended up with more injuries than Marie.

"The last one," she hummed, raising a pistol towards the Akuma that was shaped distinctly like an ice cream cone (why, she couldn't exactly be sure; the Earl had a strange sense of humor), but its next words stalled her where she was.

"A message from the Earl," the Akuma gurgled as Colette clicked the hammer of her gun, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she aimed the barrel at its center.

"Speak quickly, then," she murmured, her voice more quiet than Marie had ever heard it, "and I will end your suffering."

It was a curious thing to say, though Marie was sure he'd heard it correctly.

"Your demise has begun, you will pay for the devastation you have wreaked on my precious Akuma, you and your precious order-"

The final shot rang out, dispersing the Akuma completely.

Marie could tell the words had visibly shaken her by how her heartbeat stuttered frantically and how her breath hitched in the echoing din.

"Marie," she gasped through labored breaths, "I think we should hurry back to HQ."

Marie couldn't agree more.

* * *

All she could see was white, like in that strange room with Nea, only worse, much much worse. She gripped the balcony that overlooked the chapel with trembling hands, forcing her body to remain standing as she gazed at the sea of white coffins, the sea of dead finders and a deceased exorcist.

"No," she whispered, the tears leaving hot trails as they trekked down her cheeks. "No…this can't be possible…"

Marie could not see the coffins, but he could smell the stale scent of decay, and judging by how Colette was reacting, many were dead.

Colette could feel the bile rising in her throat as she clapped her hand to her mouth in an effort to keep it down. Once she had forced it down, she gazed ahead of her, her eyes wide and shocked. "Is…is this my fault?" she rasped, her voice hoarse with raw emotion.

She could barely feel Marie's hand on her shoulder, or her legs giving out underneath her, or even Reever yelling for a nurse as his fuzzy face appeared before her eyes.

"Colette-chan!" She could faintly feel the slap that connected with her cheek, but she could no longer control her own body. "Snap out of it!"

"Call a nurse!"

She bit down on her lip until it bled and her Innocence flared deep inside her, spreading out around her until it cocooned her in a bright flash of green, fading as suddenly as it had appeared, with her awareness with it.

"_Nea!" Nora complained, attempting to straighten her prefect curls after her twin brother mussed them with his hand. "Why do you have to be like that?"_

_The wild haired boy smirked at his slightly older sister. "Come on, Nora!" he said with a laugh. "You hate these parties as much as me!"_

"_At least I'm smart enough not to show it!" Nora glared at her brother, crossing her arms and jerking her head away from him._

"_Fighting again, you two?" _

_Nora's bad mood disappeared almost instantly at the reappearance of her older brother, whom she gladly pounced on. Nea –being the manly one- was such more subtle in how happy he was to see his brother._

"_How was the trip into town?" Nora asked first, tugging on the beige sleeve of his trench coat. Mana had gone into town for a few days to assist their uncle with some manner of business. What exactly, Nora and Nea neither knew, nor cared. _

"_Boring without you," Mana ruffled both of their heads, and this time Nora didn't complain._

"_You look like a girl," Nea said shortly, looking him up and down, referring to the long hair that Mana had tied back with a simple ribbon. However, mere seconds after he had said so, he had fallen to his knees, clutching his ribs in pain. "Ah! Nora! That hurt!"_

_Nora ignored him, smiling up at Mana. "I think you look dashing," she informed him with a bright smile. "The long hair looks better on you."_

_Mana gave her a sweet smile, bending down to press a kiss to her temple. "That warms my heart, Nora, never change."_

_She only gave him that vague smile he had grown accustomed to in return, her golden eyes dancing in the sunlight._

Colette's injuries must have been worse than she originally thought as she soon discovered the next day as she left the hospital wing –without being discharged once more-, stumbling forward with a sort of numbness that only sorrow brought on.

It wasn't that she knew many of the finders personally, or even the exorcist, it was more that this had happened because of her. She could feel it weighing on her conscience as if she had swallowed a heavy ball of lead that had sunk deep in her stomach. If only she and Marie had gotten back to HQ faster-

"Are you going to wallow in self-pity all day?"

Colette blinked, raising her head to stare at Kanda. The Japanese male wasn't in uniform (as expected, since Lenalee seemed to be the only one who wore it outside of missions), wearing a simple sleeveless black shirt with matching pants and boots. Normally, Colette would comment on his dark choice in clothing, but she was much too emotionally exhausted to start up such games. Kanda pushed himself off the wall, stalking towards her in a manner that could easily be compared to a panther stalking his prey.

"People live, people die, that is the fate of humans."

The words startled her, it was almost as if Kanda did not consider himself or even her to be human.

"Everyone who joins the Black Order knows the risks that are involved," he said, sparing her with a slight glare. "Blaming yourself for this is a foolish move, one I would not expect from you."

The clouds that had fogged her eyes cleared as he passed her by.

"Wait-Yuu!" she called after him, her voice cracking softly. When he didn't stop, she yelled after him, "Training at seven, alright?"

He didn't respond to that either, but he did turn slightly to see the closed-eye smile that she gave him, smirking in return.

* * *

"Lavi" found himself with his master sitting in a cluttered office with a mess of papers in every direction. He leaned forward on his knees, his cheek resting on a fist.

"This might be your first real trial, but don't forget," Bookman warned his apprentice, "no matter which side you are standing on, your role as a Bookman is-"

"To document the true history," Lavi finished dully, having the words ingrained in his photographic memory, "and to not interfere, right? I know."

He spared the old man a smile that lacked feeling, saying, "I'll be friendly and sociable, as always."

Bookman only made a small noise of agreement. "Don't make undue trouble, Deak," he warned.

The use of his old name startled him, but only slightly. "Deak was my forty-eighth name, my name is now Lavi." It wasn't like the old man to slip up like that.

"That's right," Bookman agreed, removing the cigarette from his lips, exhaling a breath of smoke.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, the chief will meet with you now."

Lavi twisted violently around at the familiar feminine voice. Colette had grown a bit since their last encounter; her snow white hair was longer and she was taller (he was sure he would have remembered if her legs had been that long). The fair locks had been tied into a loose braid, falling over one shoulder, and she was wearing a simple blue fighting dress with black leggings that told Lavi she was still as modest as always.

Surprise flickered through her grey orbs –he could now see them, as her headband was resting around her neck- and her lips twitched into the barest of smiles.

"Bookman and Junior…it's been a while."

She bowed politely to Bookman, and straightened up only to blush at the roguish wink the Junior Bookman bestowed upon her.

"You're as terrible as always, Junior," Colette complained, her voice exasperated as she handed Bookman a book. "I believe you lost this a number of years ago?"

Bookman didn't even bother to hide his surprise. "Where did you find this?"

Roseanne fluttered angrily by Colette's ear and Lavi noticed the golem had grown since he'd last seen it.

Colette's smile lacked the emotion it usually beheld. "Roseanne thinks secrets are a terrible business," she said in a blunt manner, "she also thinks that if you aren't going to be honest about your past, I shouldn't be honest about mine, whatever that means."

She gave an airy wave towards the pair, though Lavi was still a little confused. "I'll take you to Komui now."

Bookman watched her back carefully. It was clear that the memories were just fragments, but he couldn't help but worry of how she'd react once the puzzle had been completed.


	8. Changes in the Wind

**Disclaimer: Katsura Hoshino owns D. Gray Man**

**Creation: Chapter Eight: Changes in the Wind**

* * *

Living at HQ was a bit different for Lavi who was so used to living on the vestiges of society, often sleeping on the ground with little more than the clothes on his back, but HQ was quite the opposite. And it was a bit crazy, despite there being a funeral pyre lit just days previously. Colette was very busy, since she was one of the few exorcists that wasn't wounded, she and Kanda (a friend of hers; Lavi had learned the hard way not to call him Yuu) had been sent out the day he and Bookman arrived before returning only yesterday. Their wounds had been relatively light and the smile Colette had given Komui when he welcomed her home was positively radiant. Colette was hard person to keep track of at HQ because she always seemed to vanish around corners and turn up again several floors down, so the most Lavi had seen of her was a flutter of white hair.

Currently, Lavi had his legs hanging through the spaces of the banister as he gazed down in interest to where Kanda and Colette were in the middle of a mock battle. Colette had temporarily gained the upper hand, but that hadn't lasted very long and a decisive kick sent her tumbling into a pillar, but she got up and brushed off her clothes like it was nothing, throwing herself into the heated battle once more.

"A marvel, isn't she?" Komui asked beside him, following Lavi's stare. "I haven't seen that smile in quite a while."

Lavi raised him head, his single green eye meeting Komui's dark ones. The Chinese man had a knowing smirk on his face.

"She likes you," he added. "I haven't seen her blush as much as she has this week."

Lavi felt the need to defend himself. "She's just too easy to tease," he said, attempting to dissuade Komui's thoughts, despite the warm glow that filled his heart.

"Still," Komui mused, the smile slipping from his face as Colette struggled to stand, before giving a pained cry and clutching a hand to her right eye, a movement that caused even Kanda to drop his training sword. "Not again."

Lavi followed the Branch Chief as he raced down the stairs to reach Colette's side in seconds. "Colette-chan, your eye!"

"Its nothing, Komui!" Colette tried to give him a smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "I'm…I'm fine."

"Your eye has been causing you pain since you got back from China," Komui said shortly, pulling her hand gently away from the scarred eye to reveal the black and red that startled Lavi who had never seen her eye look like that. Sure, he'd seen how she covered it up, slanting that headband of hers over it when he'd seen her outside the Order, but this was something he hadn't ever seen when he traveled around with Bookman.

"I just…" she winced, clapping a hand to her eye once more. "I just think its evolving."

Komui gave a short intake of breath. "You mean like an Akuma?"

Colette's eye twitched (the good one, not the bad one) and the grey turned dark and dangerous. Lavi hoped Komui would start back pedaling right about now, because he'd seen Colette get that look in her eye right before she decided punch him in the face.

She stood up suddenly, closing that eye and stalking away from the three men, the glare on her face capable of turning anyone to stone, or so it seemed.

"Shouldn't have made her out to be part Akuma," Kanda said curtly, making towards the staircase to his room. He stopped briefly outside Colette's room, staring at the Ace of Spades she had painted into the wood, and then he moved forward, in the direction of his room.

Colette, on the other hand, was curled up on her bed, grimacing in real pain. The eye had been throbbing for weeks, but she hadn't mentioned it until the pain became almost unbearable. A bead of sweat ran down her face and she clenched her hand into a fist over her eye.

"Bring it on," she growled out to herself. "I can handle anything you throw at me."

_"Handling it isn't the point," Master had said, his voice filled with warning, "your body can only take so much, Co-chan. You must be careful with how far you push yourself, even you have limitations."_

_"I know my limitations, Master," Colette had said in return, "and I know how far I can push myself, trust me."_

The pain swelled around her before it suddenly vanished, and Colette lurched into the bathroom, getting one last glimpse of the change before it vanished; a whirring monocle and circled over the eye. It was a bit startling, and for some reason it worried her more than it should have, but she didn't give it much thought until later after she had collapsed into her bed, sleeping the morning away.

* * *

Lavi saw her again at lunchtime with an assortment of plates around her as she ate feverishly across from Lenalee. She looked better than she had in the morning, with only a few bruises from her fight with Kanda.

"Is this spot free?" he asked Lenalee, as the area surrounding Colette was taken up primarily by empty dishes.

Lenalee's attention shifted from the conversation she and Colette were having about her eye and she smiled at the red-head. "Sure!"

Colette gave him a sweet smile. "Did something happen to Bookman?" Roseanne was eating her dango without her noticing, but Lavi did his best not to comment on it.

"You know that old Panda-jiji," Lavi said with a wave of his hand, slurping up some of his pasta loudly, "off to the library, as usual."

"And a lot of homework for the apprentice," Colette added with a sly wink, pointing her fork at him.

Lavi pouted at her. "Lettie-chan, you ruin my fun!"

"I do try," she said sardonically, rolling her eyes at Lenalee who giggled softly.

"Is he the guy you told us so much about?" Lenalee asked her, having to duck rather suddenly at the spit take that flew over her head.

"L-Lenalee!"

Lavi raised an eyebrow, his eye filling with mirth as he grinned at Lenalee. "So, Lettie-chan's been carrying tales about me?"

Colette's cheeks had turned bright pink, but she astutely ignored the pair sitting across from her as she fiddled with her golem.

"Did she really save you after you got shot?"

"Yup!" Lavi popped the 'p'. "Though I was pretty sure she was an angel…" The color darkened slightly.

"Shove it up your ass!" she grumbled under her breath, pulling at Roseanne's "cheeks" until a small recorded audio escaped her lips.

_"Dammit, Marian! Give me back Roseanne!"_

_"I just want a looksie!"_

_"Take Tim, then, but Roseanne's mine!"_

Colette sighed lowly, unperturbed by the voices as the golem hung onto her finger, nipping gently at her fingers. Lavi and Lenalee didn't seem to have noticed, being thoroughly engrossed in a conversation about what Colette had told Lenalee. "Why is my life so complicated?" she mused to herself, jerked out of her thoughts as a small group of scientists approached the table about Lavi's uniform.

"What size am I?" Lavi asked around his pasta before swallowing. "Does it really matter?"

"No! No! No!" Johnny's face leaned in close to his, earning him a snicker from Colette at how Johnny's eyes were sparkling. He could faintly hear her complaining as one of the scientists slid into the seat beside her, stealing some of her food as he did so. "A coat that's exactly right will provide better defense." Lavi had to lean back slightly as his face came even closer. "Furthermore, it'll be easier to move around in."

"Don't be so ill-mannered, Johnny," the man beside Colette complained.

"And here you are stealing my food, Reever," Colette countered. "Way to be a hypocrite."

He ruffled her hair affectionately, to which she gave him a glare, attempting to fix the mess he'd made of her hair. But then Johnny turned on Reever, his face centimeters from his, much to Lavi's relief, Colette and Lenalee's amusement, and Reever's annoyance.

"Hey, squad leader! A long coat like Kanda's won't suit Lavi, right? Right? And Colette's is too feminine-"

"Hold up," Colette interjected, gaping at the small scientist. "How is my uniform feminine? It's just tight pants and the jacket!"

"And you're growing out of it," Reever added, "you should probably go with Lavi to get refitted."

"Eh?"

"His eyes are sparkling," Lavi noticed as he watched Johnny and Reever banter back and forth.

"We all want to protect you now that you're our comrade, Lavi," Lenalee explained with a light laugh, pushing him softly with her hand. "Go get measured!"

But he followed the group as they trekked up to the Science Department, and stood on a small stool next to Colette who looked much less enthused in her abysmal expression was anything to go by. But she pulled on the coat all the same. It was much like her last one, she noticed as she picked at the long sleeves with disdain, the only difference being that it was more reinforced at the bosom. She stood impatiently as Johnny measured her legs for new pants, before jumping down soon after, listening to Lavi give Johnny ideas for his uniform.

"Could you make a bandana for me, then?" he was asking when he caught Colette's thoughtful stare. "Hm? Something on my face?"

"You can have mine," she said, pulling her bandana over her head, holding out the fish scale designed headband to him. "You like it, right?"

He did, actually, since the first time he'd seen her wear it, but he would never admit to it.

"We can trade," Colette said patiently, "you give me yours and I'll give you mine."

Mechanically, he took the headband from her, pulling the black bandana, which was actually a short scarf, from his head and handing it to her.

She undid the knot as Johnny continued his measurements, tying it again after she had wrapped it around her head. It contrasted obviously with her light hair, but at the same time, it suited her.

Roseanne rubbed against her cheek in a contented fashion, making Colette laugh, nodding to the scientist that informed her that Komui needed to see her.

"See you later, you lot!"

The whole group waved her off as she disappeared down the hall.

"Komui?" she rapped her knuckles against the wood of the door, opening the door further. "Komui?"

The older man gave her a small smile. "Colette-chan, how would you feel about an extended mission?"

Colette's smile faltered. "Orders from Central?" she guessed.

Komui grimaced in agreement. "Unfortunately," he admitted, "are you alright with that?"

Colette tried hard to school her features into a careful mask, but the irritation leaked out. "Not at all," she lied. "When do I start?"

* * *

_"You're covered in bruises again."_

_A young girl with reddish-brown hair and eerie grey eyes was closely inspecting a smaller boy with similar features. "Did Cosimo hit you?"_

_The boy huffed in annoyance. "It's nothing, I'm fine."_

_She tilted his head so she could see him fully. "You don't look fine, sweetheart."_

_He didn't say anything to that as she rubbed an herbal salve onto his bruises. Her jerked away from her when she pressed a cloth moist with alcohol onto his cuts. "Ow! Nee-chan! Are you trying to kill me?!"_

_His sister laughed, mussing his auburn hair. "It's to disinfect it so you don't die of infection, besides, it'll only hurt for a second."_

_The boy grumbled in annoyance, gagging when she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Gross! Nee-chan!"_

_She gave him another light-hearted laugh, curling a lock of hair behind his ear._

_"Nee-chan? You won't leave me, will you?"_

_She faltered in her movements. "Why would I leave you, Otouto?"_

_"That boy's always hanging around you, trying to make you laugh…"_

_The girl spared him with that vague smile of hers. "Are you jealous, Otouto?"_

_"No!" he snapped, but his cheeks flooded with color, betraying his lie._

_"Don't worry, sweetheart," she said calmly, cradling his bruised face in her hands, "I won't leave you alone unless there are extenuating circumstances."_

_"What's that?"_

_"Things that can't be controlled," she explained. "Don't worry, I won't leave you for Junior-kun. Sisters don't abandon brothers unless they can help it."_

_Looking into her face, into her smiling lips and dancing eyes, he completely believed her._

Grey eyes opened slowly from the dream, and she didn't have to touch her face to know that it was wet with tears. She sighed softly, leaning her back into one of the stone pillars that surrounded the giant church bell. It hadn't rung for several decades, but it was still in prime condition and a great hiding place. A sharp gust of air stung her face as she stood, wrapping her cloak more firmly about her slim body.

She laughed humorlessly in the echoing silence. "Happy Birthday to me…another lonely birthday, it seems, but no matter…" She raised a hand, Magic glowing around it in a light blue. "_Build._"

Before her eyes a figure emerged from the ground up, first appearing as a pair of small feet, then legs, a torso, arms, and a head. The girl had the coloring of Nora Walker, from whom her creation had been inspired.

"Creation," the girl said with a small smile, "I think it's time we greeted our guests, don't you?"

"Yes, Master," the child agreed, racing down the steps and disappearing into the filled town, knowing full well that the direction she was heading in would lead her to three unassuming exorcists.

Lavi linked his hands behind his head. "So what exactly are we here for again?"

Lenalee sighed and recounted what her brother had told her.

"_Lenalee, you, Lavi, and Bookman will be leaving immediately for Spain," Komui explained as his sister feverishly packed her things into a bag. "I know it's a bit rushed, but we've gotten word that an exorcist we have stationed there might have gained some unwanted attention from the Earl. We need you three to act as back-up." _

"So, who's the exorcist?" Lavi asked with a grin. "Lettie-chan?"

Lenalee couldn't help the smile that broke across her face at the mention of her best friend. "He never said, only that they were someone with skills that the Earl desires."

"A worrying thought," Bookman added. "If it is Colette, then we should hurry, post haste."

A loud explosion diverted their attention temporarily as the townspeople went screaming for cover as a large Level Two Akuma broke through a building. The size was unbelievable for a simple Akuma, but Lenalee had grown too used to destroying Akuma to care too much for the size. But the one thing that surprised her was that it was chasing after a small figure that was leaping over stray overturned carts with the same practiced ease that Colette possessed. The movements were so identical that Lenalee almost mistook her for the whitette, but she was too small and her features were much too dark to be her. The girl clutched at her shoulder which was bleeding profusely as black pentacles spread across her skin.

Lavi and Lenalee had already sprung into action with the swing of an expanded hammer and the swift kick of a black booted leg, dispatching the Akuma as quickly as it had appeared. Still, Lenalee couldn't help but think that Colette would have been faster.

The trio ("Panda! Why didn't you help us?!" "You had it sorted." "Grrr…") turned to the girl who should no longer be a girl, having been exposed to the Akuma's blood virus, but she still stood, watching in avid fascination as the pentacles receded and her wound knit itself shut, leaving her completely uninjured.

"Fascinating," she said in a cultured voice, inspecting her hand as if it was a foreign substance. "The rescue was unneeded, by the way," she added to the three exorcists, "I'm just a shell, no soul, you know."

"Eh?" Lavi canted his head to her. "What d'you mean?"

"Like a Jewish golem," the girl said in an almost bored fashion, very much like Colette, "you know, animated beings made of inanimate matter…shouldn't you know this, I thought you were a Bookman?"

She sounded so condescending that a tick mark appeared on Lavi's forehead. "Why you-!"

Both Bookman and Lenalee had to restrain the boy from strangling the child before them. She giggled, trying to smother them with a hand.

"Oh, you have free thought," she laughed harder, gripping her sides, "sorry, I thought Bookmen erased that…I can see why Master took a liking to you."

These words caught Bookman's attention.

"And your master is…?" he prodded.

The girl who so greatly resembled a long dead young woman that he had once known balanced her weight onto her heels with Colette's amused smile on her face. ""Creation's" Master is Colette Walker, of course," she chirped enthusiastically. "The one that the Millennium Earl seeks."

"Creation," Bookman repeated, "as in the Creator of Time?"

"Are you going deaf, old man?" "Creation" asked in annoyance. "That is what I said, wasn't it?" Her golden eyes glowed eerily for a brief moment. "Ah, Master is recalling me. The Earl is close to her hiding place and she can't move while I am active." "Creation's" body was becoming fuzzy like the recordings golems played, blurring out before repeating the process once more. "It would be unwise if the Earl was to gain access to her abilities so I will be returning." Her golden-eyed gaze shifted upwards, to stare up at the swirling clouds overhead. "Let us hope we last the night…Roseanne will coordinate you to Master's location, but until then, you're on your own."

And the inanimate matter dissolved into nothing, leaving them alone with a chill going down their spine as the church bell tolled a haunting melody in the distance.


	9. False Alarm

**AN: Thank you to my reviewers, you all really make my day! I hope this chapter does the others justice and I hope I expanded a little on Colette's personality, but there are still a couple more chapters to go until Allen shows up, so I still have time. :)**

**Disclaimer: Katsura Hoshino owns D. Gray Man**

**Creation: Chapter Nine: False Alarm**

* * *

_She looked like Mana, that was the first thing she noticed about the casual outfit she wore. It was modest and conservative, though the vest was a little tight around her chest –she suspected that it had once belonged to a male rather than a female. The off white color of her arm was hidden by the long sleeves and gloves that covered both of her arms, for which she was grateful. But the outfit couldn't hide her hair, and he found her easily and unfortunately._

_She saw the golem first and it surprised her, mostly because its design was nearly identical to Roseanne's, meaning it wasn't mechanical and had been made from magic. Colette had thought Roseanne was the only one. But the golden one caught her by surprise, slamming right into her temple, knocking the almost-sixteen year old to the ground._

"_Dammit!" she growled, rubbing her throbbing forehead in annoyance. "What's your-" The words faded from her mouth rather suddenly as she found herself staring at Roseanne and the golden intruder. They were circling around themselves like dogs chasing their tails. Colette slowly stood, a confused expression turning her lips and tilting her head._

"_It seems you are not as difficult to find as I believed," an older voice commented behind her, closely followed by a puff of smoke –from a cigarette, no doubt._

_Slowly, very slowly, Colette turned to face the owner of the voice. She almost called him "Lavi" by mistake, since he had red hair, but Lavi's was shorter, wilder and definitely brighter. She knew who he was once she put the half-mask, the golden Rose Cross, and the cigarette between his lips together._

"_You're the douchie general!" She said in realization, stabbing her finger at the man. "Marian or something, right?"_

_The man's eyebrow twitched at the insult. "Must've been apprenticed to that idiot Tiedoll," he grunted._

_Colette's eyes narrowed into a deathly glare. "Master is a great teacher!"_

_Cross Marian made a disinterested noise at that, looking her up and down in a way that reminded her of Lavi. Colette half-expected him to call out "Strike!", but he didn't. "You look a lot like your brother," he noticed._

_That startled Colette and her glare wavered. "You know Allen?"_

_Cross pulled the cigarette from his lips, exhaling a steady stream of smoke before looking her in the eye; for some reason, Colette wasn't surprised to find that his visible eye was the same color as his hair. "I should, he's my idiot apprentice."_

_Colette, who loved her brother very much, started to reach for one of her pistols strapped to her thigh, annoyed at how he spoke of her brother. "My brother is no idiot, General."_

"_That remains to be seen," the man said in an almost bored fashion. "He's not very interesting…but you on the other hand…"_

_Colette did not approve of his lecherous stare. "Is there a reason you're here, General?"_

"_You can use "Creation", can't you?"_

_Her eyes widened marginally at the familiarity in his voice when he referred to her gift. Suspicion clouded her eyes, making him laugh with deep echoing laughter. _

"_I can teach you to use it," he said despite her caution, "I can teach you things your master wouldn't dream of."_

* * *

"I'm going to kill you, Komui," Colette warned, speaking into Kanda's golem as her communication earring had started malfunctioning just the day before, thus causing the supervisor to overreact. "Talk about over-reacting! Sending Yuu was ridiculous by itself, but sending Lenalee, Bookman, and Lavi is just insulting."

Kanda didn't comment on her tirade to their supervisor, though his dark eyes did peer curiously at the girl. Colette had changed a lot over the years, and he had seen the downs more than he had seen the ups, but the difference was obvious now between the last time he'd seen her. Her eyes were brighter than they ever had been, now a lustrous sterling, turning silver when she smiled, a smile that now reached her eyes and held none of the sadness that it usually held. She had always reminded him a bit of Alma (though he would never admit that aloud), but now the similarities were glaringly obvious. It wasn't as though they things they did were identical, they were obviously both very different, but some of the things she did reminded him of Alma.

"Is that why you tried to scare them with your human golem?" Komui's voice blared from the black mechanical golem making Colette wince and tug on her ear lobe slightly.

Colette waved off his accusation despite knowing that he couldn't even see it. "Eh, they need a little fear to brighten their day."

Kanda chuckled. Once, but just _once_. Colette's humor was refreshing to say the least; practical jokes seemed to be her forte.

"You're so nice, Colette-chan!"

Grey eyes swiveled as she downed a gulp of tea. "I'm not paid for my personality, sweetheart."

Komui sputtered for a few seconds at being called 'sweetheart', but Colette was quirky that way, everyone knew that.

"As soon as your…backup arrives, Kanda-kun, you and Bookman and Lenalee-chan will return with the Innocence and Colette-chan and Lavi-kun will be going on to China."

Kanda and Colette shared identical looks of suspicion. "Komui, if you're sending me into a battlefield, then I think Yuu, or at least Lenalee-" she interjected with her opinion, but he cut her off.

"Kanda-kun and Lenalee-chan are required elsewhere. Lavi will be accompanying you," Komui said in a very direct sort of voice.

Colette reached out to pull the golem right out of the air, a distinctly aggravated look on her face as she growled, "You're making me go with him on purpose, aren't you?"

"You are friends, aren't you?" Komui asked in mild amusement.

"So?" Colette demanded. "Just because we're friends doesn't mean I can trust him with my back!"

"Colette-chan, you can handle a few days with the descendant of the Bookman Clan while Zhu Mei Chang has a look at your Innocence," Komui said firmly and a loud click signaled the end of the call.

Colette dropped down to sit in a relaxed posture beside Kanda, a very obvious frown marring her lips as she finished her tea. "Hey, Yuu…do you know who this Zhu guy is?"

She was being openly curious, Kanda could see that quite clearly, but it didn't stop the annoyance from rising up inside him at the mention of the man who had once crafted Mugen.

"He's an Anti-Akuma Weapon Manufacturer."

Her nose crinkled up as she thought, but she didn't speak again for a while, finally jerking her head upwards and leaping back in several perfectly executed cartwheels as the area where she had been previously standing had cracking, the top layer of dirt exploding upwards. "Ah, Lenalee," she said in a mild voice, "is this how you greet old friends, now?"

The younger girl straightened up, retracting her Innocence-booted foot from where she had buried it into the ground with her kick, glaring at the whitette who was unfazed by such a venomous stare.

"You complete…_jerk!_" Lenalee seethed, her violet eyes sparking with anger. "Freaking us out like that! Have you no shame?"

"Depends on the day," Colette offered thoughtfully with a pensive expression. "Today? Nah!"

Her grin was infectious and Lenalee's lips twitched upwards almost involuntarily. "Don't do it again."

"Your wish is my command," Colette agreed with a wider grin, shoving her hands in her pockets before turning to the remaining two members of Lenalee's group arrived. "Hello, Bookman, Lavi."

"A pleasure as always, Walker-san," the aged recorder said, shaking her hand. "You look well."

"The same can be said about you, Bookman," Colette returned easily with a laugh, glancing suddenly to Lavi who had been surprisingly silent during their whole exchange. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

For once, Colette didn't look very much like an exorcist, she looked relatively...human, and it was a very odd look for her. In place of her uniform she wore a beige overcoat over a dress shirt, vest, and cravat, and her hair -normally hiked high on her head- was tied loosely away from her face with a dark ribbon. She didn't look like the sort who went around exorcising Akuma. Colette tucked her hands into her coat's pocket, canting her head to the side in a manner that Lavi would later inform her was "cute".

"Strike!"

A pink flush spread across her face, slowing deepening to a blood red as she feverishly pulled the coat around her. "S-shut up!" she stuttered angrily, throwing a perfectly aimed fist at his cheek, turning open-faced at the last second to slap him across the side of the road. "Moron!" she snapped as the others (sans Kanda) chuckled at the scene. "You are completely shameless!"

"Absolutely!" he agreed, sitting up on his patch of road with a dazed smile. "And by the way…it was totally worth it."

An annoyed sound escaped her throat and she made a rude hand gesture that only made them laugh more. In the end, Colette simply crossed her arms, an annoyed huff leaking through her lips as she glared at one red-head in particular. Her attention wavered, however, when she caught sight of something round and golden and she disappeared into the crowd to follow after it. The golden golem didn't lead her very far before it disgorged a large heavy book.

Colette blinked in surprise, weighing the thick tome in her hands –about the spells used by the faction of CROW, it seemed- as she tilted her head to the golem. "Did your master tell you to give me this?"

Timcanpy nodded his body in agreement to her words.

She opened her mouth to thank him when the feeling hit her so suddenly that she fell over, her awareness vibrating around her, leaving her confused. It was as if the sound had cut out, like she was in the middle of a storm that made no noise. She didn't know why, but fear clenched around her heart like a fist. The click of heels on the cobbled street had her raising her head and staring uncomprehendingly into his. The golden eyes were quite familiar, but not in that slit-eyed fashion, the slate grey skin was equally as daunting, but the stigmata of crosses across his forehead was what really got her. His lips lifted into a dangerous smile, and she was so startled when he struck that she didn't move, staring disbelieving at the hand embedded in her chest. And then she opened her eyes.

She was still standing with the book clutched in her arms and Timcanpy nodding before her. The cross fashioned into its body to shift into an inquisitive question mark.

Colette's smile was on the shaky side as she attempted to dissuade the golem's concerns.

"I'm fine, Timcanpy." Her voice came out a bit strangled and heavy as she gasped for breath, one hand resting on her chest as if she could feel the hand reaching to yank her heart from her ribcage. "Watch over Allen for me, will you, Tim?" She cupped the golem in her hand and it nibbled on her fingers lightly in agreement before shooting once more into the sky. She smiled even as it disappeared before squeezing through the crowd back to where her group had congregated.

"Lettie-chan? Is something wrong? You're as pale as snow."

Colette exhaled a loud breath. "Well, I might need to sit dow-" Before she could even blink, her knees had buckled beneath her, though, luckily, Lavi caught her before she could collide with the pavement, her. Why was that…vision affecting her so much she couldn't help but wonder? Her arms tightened around the tome held to her chest and she could feel her heartbeat through it.

"I'll be…fine," she rasped out to dissuade their concerns. "Just let me…catch my…breath."

She could hear their concerned voices above her, but she couldn't really understand them. She did, however, feel the gentle warmth encompassing her elbow; she didn't have to look to the side to now it was Lavi. Really, he never changed.

At long last, the nonsensical noises around her cleared, leaving her with a terrible, throbbing headache.

"Ooh!" she moaned, clutching her head with one hand. "Bleeding migraine!"

"Colette?" Lenalee was crouching down so she was in her line of sight. "Are you well enough to walk? Like onto the train with Lavi?"

"Possibly," Colette uttered tiredly as the red-haired exorcist looped her arms around his neck, pulling her into his arms bridal style.

"Easy does it, gorgeous," Lavi said with a playful smirk on his lips as he carried her onto the train. All Colette could do was shake her head at the boy as he placed her in the compartment reserved for the Black Order.

"Treat me like I'm a delicate flower again, Lavi," she began despite the headache, her voice filled with warning, "and I'll find a few inventive places to stick my pistols."

His smile humored her, and she didn't like it. It was one of his transparent smiles that often set her off when they first met, making Mana have to drag her away before any blood could be spilled.

"Don't do that."

Her eye cleared slightly and he found himself staring at her –not that he didn't regularly ogle her, she was, after all, singularly beautiful in his eyes-, into her annoyed grey irises.

"Don't do what?" he asked, as playful and as cheerful as ever.

Her glare deepened. "You know what."

Lavi opened his mouth to respond, but it was pointless, she was already asleep. And he let her…for about a couple of hours, and then he got bored again.

Lavi's marker was descending dangerously close to Colette's face, when-

"If that touches me, Lavi, I will throw you from this train."

The only movement Colette had given had been from her lips, her eyes remaining shut, giving off the appearance that she was still asleep.

"You're awake?" Lavi asked in surprise, yelping loudly when she swept his legs out from underneath him, sending him tumbling back into his seat.

"I'm resting my eyes," she said tiredly, readjusting her position while being on the brink of sleep. "I am always aware of my body." A sliver of grey could be seen from her barely open eyes. "Life of a girl living on the streets, I suppose."

Lavi frowned, turning his gaze out of the window. He was none too familiar with the life Colette had led before and the everyday perils she had faced. He knew very well that what she referred to the high chances that girls on the street were taken advantage of in ways Lavi didn't even want to consider.

"Why were you on the streets, Lettie-chan?"

Her eyes opened fully to survey him, her eyes not cold as he'd expected, but sad and confused.

"I…I don't know," Colette said finally, her brow creased in bewilderment. "All I knew was that I had to protect my brother."

The determination glowed in her eyes and Lavi remembered what it was like watching the two together, brother and sister. They really were two very different sides to the same coin, but it had been obvious, even to him, that they had cared very deeply for each other.

"Thinking about the past makes my head hurt too much," Colette added in that exhaustive voice of hers, "but I remembered thinking that I couldn't be one of those girls."

"Those girls?" Lavi prompted, his curiosity piqued.

"I was broke and homeless, feeding what scraps I had first to my brother and then myself. I never cared if I lived or died, as long as my brother was around. I had no parties to dress up for, no boys to impress," her voice grew distant and her eyes morose, "and I had no future to hope for." The grey orbs were a little bright, filled to the brim with tears that would not fall. "I wanted something_ permanent_, but at the same time, I feared it more than anything." Her attention shifted towards him once more. "That was one of the reasons I hated you so much in the beginning, because you're always changing and I remain the same. I _hated_ how you could so easily throw away who you were, when who I was was one of the things I treasured most." She closed her eyes, leaning her head back until it made contact with the cushions, but Lavi could see her dark lashes were wet. "I didn't want to like you, I didn't want you to complicate my life so much, but I guess some things I still can't control."

"You're still as straightforward and sweet as you used to be," Lavi informed her, smirking at her coy duck of the head. "Can I see your arm?"

The out-of-the-blue question surprised Colette, but she complied all the same, rolling up her sleeve and pulling of the black glove that hid her ruined flesh. Lavi's hands were gentle as he held her hand in his. He had, of course, seen her arm before, but she rarely showed it to anyone these days, preferring to wear the arm-length glove at all times. It was always a bit shocking when he saw the skin, as if he had forgotten what it had looked like, and it was very hard to forget. The skin was both as white as snow and at the same time, obviously an off-white color. The flesh was upraised and twisted somewhat, looking wrinkled in the areas where it looked like feathers pressed together.

"It's nothing special," Colette said sourly, the green cross seared into her wrist glowing in the light, "just another deformity." Try as she might, though, she could not deny the tingle that went down her body at the slightest touch.

"No one is perfect, Lettie-chan," he said with a soft laugh that earned him a smile in return, and a blush as well when he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. She fumbled when she replaced the glove, but then she did something so forward that she would later fathom what had possessed her to do such a thing; she leaned forward and brushed her own lips against the eye patch that covered his right eye. It was hard to tell who was more surprised, the giver or the receiver.

* * *

_Twi Chang was a very attractive young woman, and she knew this quite well. Though, not many were willing to get close to her, with that permanent severe expression on her face, only her fiancé, Edgar Martin-Chang was willing enough. She had to admit, the man was starting to grow on her, but she doubted it would amount to anything (and later when it did, she would not admit to such thoughts). She was so lost in thought she almost ran into the person she was looking for._

"_Walker-san!"_

_The young woman looked up and smiled at the girl who was only slightly younger than her. "Hello, Twi."_

_Twi wrinkled her nose in irritation at how the girl so easily called her by her first name; at least Twi was respectful. "Hello, Walker-san."_

_Her last name wasn't really Walker, but it was all she knew her as, so it would have to do. Nora Walker had caught her interest using Magic of Will, or as she had called it "Creation", something that had been supposedly been deemed impossible by magicians centuries prior. Once Twi had realized what exactly her magic was, she had demanded that Nora teach her._

_Nora hadn't been very impressed, to say the least._

"_It's seems our time together has come to an end," Nora continued in her melodious voice, her golden eyes shifting to where her brothers –nearly identical in appearance, all the way down to the clothes they were wearing- stood, awaiting her silently. Twi noticed how the younger one, Nora's twin, was switching his weight from one leg to the next every few seconds, watching the crowd carefully for enemies she could not see._

_She was surprised when a thick book was placed in her arms and she stared at the cover, but in place of words were symbols that more closely resembled music notes than actual words._

"_A gift," Nora said simply, "for one who treasures the knowledge of magic as much as I. I hope you find it enlightening."_

_In the time it took Twi to blink, the three had vanished, leaving her only with the book in her hands and her fiancé calling her name in the distance._


	10. Defenseless

**Disclaimer: Katsura Hoshino owns D. Gray Man**

**Creation: Chapter Ten: Defenseless**

* * *

Colette did not approve of her current situation. She was disgruntled, annoyed, and embarrassed all rolled into one and a red flush was dusting her cheeks. What was her situation, you ask? Well, that would have to be being carried across a river to the entrance to the Asian Branch, _bridal style_. She was getting very close to shooting her flirty companion, but that would probably only leave her with more work.

"You know one of these days I'm going to kill you, right?" Colette inquired of him in a bland voice, giving a small yelp and quickly wrapping her arms around his neck as he tripped.

But the smirk told her it was staged.

She rolled her eyes. "Well played, Bookman."

Lavi's eyebrows waggled at her, holding her body close to his, so close that he could feel the heat of her skin inches from his. "I do try, but I should point out that you're the one who hasn't let go of me."

Colette's stare was all too knowing. "So you can try that trick again?" she asked dryly. "No thanks."

The wink told her that had been his second plan. He deposited her gently on solid ground, following her lead. "So how do we get in this place?"

Colette ignored him (big surprise), drawing an arm up so that it was horizontal with her body whispering in a barely perceptible manner. "_Open_."

For a moment there was nothing, and then a slow smile spread across her face as a white, static-like oval appeared in the wall. Lavi was too busy gaping at the hole to register Colette gripping his wrist in her hand and pulling him through the oval.

"Duck," she advised as an afterthought, moving swiftly in compliance to her own advice. Lavi followed after only a split-second of considering it, and he paled looking behind him. There was a foot embedded in the wall behind them.

"This is Fou," Colette explained, unsurprised by the attack and unperturbed, "she's the Guardian of the Asian Branch."

It was only then that Lavi actually saw that "Fou" was actually a human-like creature with the appearance of a girl (one whom he would gladly call out "Strike!" for).

Fou pulled her foot out of the wall, twisting around to aim it at Colette who dodged easily. "Damn you, brat! Going through my barrier like it was nothing!"

Colette laughed sheepishly, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. "Well…oh look, there's Bak!"

Fou growled in irritation as the sixteen year old ignored her and practically flew past her to fling her arms around an older man with blonde hair. Lavi watched with a raised eyebrow, but he couldn't be jealous given how open Colette was with the people she liked. The man was only slightly surprised by her exuberance, returning the hug just as quickly, perhaps in the hopes that she would release him, which she did.

"Is your great-uncle around?" she inquired of the man, glancing around for the old man in question. "I think he's expecting us."

The branch chief's eyes shifted briefly to Lavi, surprise evident in those blue orbs, but he quickly schooled his features giving Colette his full attention. "Yes, he might have mentioned something about that. Follow me."

Colette tugged Lavi forward, pulling at his hand with both of hers. "Come on, Lavi, don't be such a stiff!"

A smile crept onto his face against his will, and he knew without even thinking about it that it was one of many true smiles concerning the whitette.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?"

"Oh, no reason," Lavi informed her cheerfully, but her frown told him that she didn't buy it.

Walking behind them, Fou shook her head at the pair. They really were just like those two; the Pure Lovers that history had to erase. Obviously, Colette wasn't as forward she had been in her past life, and clearly "Lavi" wasn't as polite as he had been during that time as well. This time, Fou was content to merely watch from the sidelines. She smirked. The same could not be said for the Bookman, it seemed.

Annoyance tinged her face that Lavi could see even from the great distance between them. She haphazardly brushed her pale locks from her face, watching the old Chinese man fiddle with her "Salvation" akin to the way one worried about a child that strayed too far away. Of course, an exorcist without their Innocence was as easily kill-able as an ordinary human. Lavi was quite familiar with her nervous ticks: tugging on the end of her hair, rocking back and forth on her heels, sucking in her lower lip and biting down softly. Here, they were all present and obvious.

"I woulda figured you'd be up there with her," a callous voice commented and Lavi wasn't all too surprised when he turned to find it was a girl who had spoken, the girl from before. She was an odd-looking girl, at that, with mitten-like hands and geometric markings along her body. Despite appearances, she looked rather too old to be so young; her eyes, he noticed, were too old for her youthful face. Well, he supposed, the Guardian would have to be at least a couple centuries old.

"She doesn't like audiences," Lavi said once he realized she was waiting for an answer. "She'd probably get annoyed because I have my Innocence right now, and she doesn't."

"Probably," the girl agreed with a smirk, sitting down beside him. "You like her, don't you?"

Lavi's single green eye widened marginally at the assumption.

She grinned in an amused manner. "There's only one thing you've been lookin' at since you got here…think she knows you're staring at her butt?"

Lavi grinned as well. "Probably." She always seemed to know when he was looking her over.

Colette jerked her head up rather suddenly to gaze at Bak as he strode towards her, ensuing a rather heated conversation. Whatever Bak said to her clearly annoyed her, if the set frown and firm hand gestures were anything to go by.

"What d'you think that's about?" Lavi asked, nodding to the pair.

Fou shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever it is, it can't be good news."

* * *

"I do not approve of this idea," Colette said sourly as they waded through a nearby Chinese town. "I don't like feeling powerless."

"Don't worry," Lavi said cheerfully, "if any Akuma show up, I'll protect you."

That did not improve Colette's mood much, if the ever-present frown was anything to go off of. "I don't like relying on other people."

"Maybe you should." And for once, his voice lacked the humor it so often beheld.

Her grey eyes fastened entirely on his single green one, as if trying to ascertain what exactly he was thinking, quite forgetting to breathe for a moment, but catching herself a second later. "It's a personal thing, Lavi," she said with a sigh, "it's the way I've always been."

She was jostled suddenly to the side suddenly, having to grab Lavi's arm to remain upright. "Oh, I'm sorry," she quickly apologized to the man she had bumped into.

"It's quite alright, girl~," the man said in a voice that sent shivers down her spine, and not in a good way. Unfortunately, she only got a glimpse of his face, the sickly sheen of grey that now haunted her nightmares, along with the hand ripping her beating heart from her chest.

Lavi raised an eyebrow when she looked after the man. "Someone you know?" he guessed, but then her cheeks had turned pale.

"Only from my nightmares," she said, watching the man's back disappear into the sea of color that was the crowd of Chinese folk going about their business. She twisted her head suddenly, her right eye activating at the presence of Akuma. "Get ready, they're already coming."

The Iron Hammer was already in Lavi's hands. "How far?"

"Shall I mark them for you?" Colette's voice contained the barest of humor as seal tags escaped her sleeves, hovering in the air before her as she lifted two fingers to her lips. "**Shibari Bane (Secret Spell: Binding Wings).**" The strips of paper glowed briefly before shooting into the crowd, pinpointing the Akuma that only she could see.

Lavi silently marveled at the sealing the faction of CROW was rather well known for being used so effortlessly by Colette, since she'd only gotten the book concerning it a few days prior. She arched an eyebrow at him. "Don't you have some Akuma to crush, Bookman?"

"Do I get a good luck kiss?" Lavi's smile was on the cheeky side as he pulled her suddenly close.

Colette's lips twitched in amusement. "Maybe later, moron!" She vaulted out of his arms before he could breathe, scaling a building in twelve seconds flat, racing over the rooftops for something he wasn't quite sure what, leaving him to deal with the Akuma, it seemed. He hefted his hammer with a grunt. "Should've just kissed her flat out," he grumbled to himself as he threw himself into battle.

Contrary to popular belief, Colette was not leaving all the Akuma to her flirty companion. The gear whirred over her cursed eye as she leapt towards the two Akuma closest to the outside, her mouth opening, allowing the music to flow from her vocal cords. When she had first used it, it had automatically shifted into words, but now there were no words, only the emotions the song conveyed.

The Akuma were still able to fire on her, despite the pain building in their skulls, and she had to employ some extremely deadly maneuvers that had broken both of her legs the first time she had attempted them. It was a miracle she only came out with a badly sprained ankle. Colette had to count her lucky stars, even as she winced, flexing her ankle.

"This is all Bak's fault!" she growled once the Akuma had exploded from the frequency of the song. "I'm going to kill him when we get bac-ah!"

Agony shot over her side and she had to jump down into a balcony for cover.

"Lettie-chan!" Lavi's voice rang to her left, but it was so hard to tell directions in battle.

Lavi reached out to grab her on impulse, his arms wrapping around her waist as she threw her arms around his neck at the precise moment the floor beneath her feet collapsed. Lavi pulled her from the ledge, slamming her a little too hard into the wall several yards below.

Colette gave a noise of surprise –too surprised to feel pain, despite the black pentacles slowly spreading over her skin-, her fingers curling around his elbows, feeling the tensed muscles beneath her hands. She gasped for breath, the move having thrust what air was within her from her lungs, and before she even had time to blink, he was kissing her. For a moment Colette wasn't exactly sure how to respond, other than blushing to the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes, since her initial response was embarrassment. Her second response was to have a mental freak out; she didn't even know how to kiss! What if she screwed it up? What if Lavi hated her for it? And then she felt relief, relief that she was not having a bunch of one-sided feelings.

Her eyes fluttered shut, quite unaware of the destruction around them, only feeling a warm addictive fire spreading throughout her entire being. It was so familiar, yet new. It left her confused in a way as he pulled away.

"_Shield._" The solemn word echoed from her mouth, a large pale blue orb spreading out around them, protecting them from the payload of the attacking that rained down on them. She hadn't even been sure that it would work until she made the attempt. The strain on her shield was affecting her more greatly than she had anticipated, she noticed, as she slid to the ground and coughed red blood mixed with black, her skin going completely black from the poison.

"Lettie-chan!" Lavi knelt down quickly, hovering protectively before her, unsure what to do next.

Her silver eyes were pinpricks against the blackness that was now her face. Her dark lips curled upwards. "Aren't you going to kill that last one?"

Lavi loathe to leave her, seeing how greatly the Akuma blood oil was spreading throughout her system, but she was right (as always); he had a job to do. When he ran towards it, his hammer raised, he had intended to leave behind the bubble-shield that Colette had erected, but it followed him as he moved, leaving Colette undefended. He cursed under his breath, his weapon enlarging at will as he slammed it against the Akuma and into a building, demolishing it carelessly.

Colette's hand was black was she reached to cover her heart with it, proclaiming so softly that Lavi wasn't sure he'd heard it right. "_Purify_."

The blackness faded as swiftly as it had come and soon Lavi found himself gaping at a very pale Colette who chuckled painfully at his expression.

Her lips formed into a grimace. "I hope you're carrying me back this time, sweetheart, I don't think I could make the walk."

Colette's eyes had already closed, her breathing deepening as he lifted her from the rubble, unaware of the relieved smile he gave her.

* * *

"It was a bad idea, alright?"

Bak Chang was giving her a look nearly identical to the way a child sulked to its parents, amusing Colette to no end as she balanced the tea on its tray, deliberately keeping it from him (it smelled really good, she had to admit) until he apologized.

"And?" she prompted, dancing away from the hands that had reached for the tea.

"And I'm so very, very sorry…can I have the tea now?"

She snorted slightly, but handed it over all the same. Bak took it from her eagerly, but as soon as he took one sip, he had to set it down rather suddenly.

"Is something wrong?" Colette asked in confusion. "Does it taste bad, or something?"

The expression on his face was strangely closed off, earning him a raised eyebrow. "Hey, Bak…earth to Bak, you in there?"

The man jumped wildly as she nudged him, taken completely by surprise by the "attack". "It's nothing," he said after a long moment, but the dubious stare told him she didn't believe that for a second. "It's just…this is exactly the same way my mother would make tea."

"Oh." Colette blinked, surprised by the response. "Well…um…" Talking about deceased parents made her uncomfortable, especially since she had recently learned of Mana's death from Cross. "How about whenever I'm here, I'll make you a cuppa, deal?"

His smile reminded her of someone else, but she wasn't quite sure who; perhaps someone she had dreamed recently of. She shifted her weight to her opposite foot, wincing as the movement pulled at her still-healing injury.

"Do not attempt "Creation" again, Bak," Colette warned, turning to face the Asian Branch Chief with a rather serious expression. "The Earl can sense its power; you are just lucky that I was around to take the blame."

"What are you-" Bak started, slightly appalled. "What have you done, Colette?"

"The Akuma that we missed yesterday has most likely reported back to the Earl by now," she continued in that vague voice of hers. "You'll be safe…for now at least."

Bak seemed to go into slight shock as she opened the door, vanishing swiftly through it, her pale hair trailing behind her like a white ribbon. It only took him about ten seconds to gather his wits and race after her before she could escape with Lavi.

"I almost forgot!" Bak quickly handed over the heavy gold communicator that she'd broke not several days earlier. "Good as new."

Colette accepted it with the barest of smiles, returning it once more to her ear when Bak grabbed her arm.

"Do not fight this war alone," he warned.

Her lips twitched involuntarily, but Bak couldn't shake the feeling that she was humoring him. "Oh, I'm not alone, Bak."

Her response earned her an odd look, but she missed it as she waltzed over to Lavi. "See you around, Bak." And the pair disappeared through the opening as if they hadn't really been there in the first place.

* * *

The train ride back to England was very uncomfortable, at least for Colette. She had buried her face behind her book, doing her best to ignore the ever-irritating red-head that was sitting across from her. Even hidden, she could feel his eyes on her, and almost reflexively, her cheeks flooded with heat. It was almost a relief when the train came into the station and they began their trek through the town and out to where the Black Order's HQ was located. The finder that had been sent to escort them had clearly noticed the tension that hung in the air and had tactfully remained silent. The boat ride back into the building made her queasy, like always, but it was nothing compared to how her cheeks would flood with heat each time Lavi caught her eye. The resulting smirk on his face only made it worse. Colette tried her hardest to keep from blushing too hard and made an attempt to manually slow down her speeding heart rate.

Goodness! Colette had never felt like such a…girl! Of course, it wasn't common for females to act coy towards their suitors in this day and age, but Colette wasn't much like them. And her coyness wasn't an act; she had never had something like a kiss happen to her. She was embarrassed from the tops of her ears to the tips of her toes.

It was almost a relief when the boat was docked and she could clamor out of it onto solid footing. She blinked a few times, still disoriented from the boat ride, but the smile spread across her face as she saw the man she had come to regard as kin stood waiting, his lab coat fluttering loosely in the wind as he simply said: "Welcome home."

She could feel the wetness pricking her eyes, even though he had said it countless times to her; perhaps she was being overly emotional because of how close to death she had come not several days previously, but she was not certain. Without further ado, Colette flung her arms around Reever's neck, laughing into his shoulder, relief pouring from her limbs.

"I'm home," she whispered.

**AN: I'm not sure I really like how this chapter turned out, but what the hell. Hopefully the next one will be better. I will also be posting a drabble fic that will be situated in this universe, called Blue Roses Under the Moonlight. At one point, I may or may not merge it with Creation, but right now it will be separate. And I want to give a big thank you to my reviewers, you really make my day! I might be able to post the next chapter by the weekend!**


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